Torchwood: Doppelgangers
by DarqueQueen7
Summary: Summary: In present day mythology, a doppelganger is someone different that looks just like you. Jack has seen many in his time that looked like others he knew in the past…he just never thought he’d see him again. – Set five years after CoE.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: Torchwood and Doctor Who are not mine – all the characters are RTD's except my OC's…and RTD's a Serious Big Blue Meanie! Don't really know where this one came from – but just go with me here. _

Summary: In present day mythology, a doppelganger is someone different that looks just like you. Jack has seen many in his time that looked like others he knew in the past…he just never thought he'd see _him_ again. – Set five years after CoE.

Torchwood: Doppelgangers

Chapter One: Prologue

Near the village in the Brecons, there were a series of crevasses and underground caves that opened jaggedly across the flat plains…some kept their secrets well. Others disgorged them to the outside world to deal with.

Welsh authorities discovered human remains near one such crevasse. Seven years after the Cannibal incident, the discovery hit the media. Everyone was tired five years after the 456 incident of fearing destruction coming from the skies; they preferred instead to hear the gory details of humans gone mad in their back garden. Family members of the victims of the Cannibals wanted closure; an ability to bury their dead, if possible.

So, a call went out for experienced climbers, cave explorers and spelunkers for the purpose of mapping the cave and crevasse system and the collection of any remains. Another call went out…to Torchwood. They had been rebuilt after the debacle the government created destroying them. The Crown reinstated Torchwood and gave Torchwood 3 control status over the Institute/Archive located in Scotland and Torchwood London. Since Jack had failed to return, Gwen Williams was named 'Director' until the Captain's return. The Hub in the Plass was rebuilt and the new Government and UNIT were given a simple warning: Stand in Torchwood's way, try to destroy them again – and they'd all look like they'd died in their sleep.

Gwen brought in Lois Habiba and Martha Milligan. Martha brought in Mickey Smith and a Jackson Devereaux formerly of UNIT. They ran the Hub well. Myfanwy was killed in the explosion, but an egg was found in her nest – and after 4 months of nervous waiting – a new pteradon flew proudly overhead. Mickey named it Spero…the Latin word for 'hope'.

And so, two years previous, five years to the day of his departure, Captain Jack Harkness returned. For him though, it had been much longer – a few decades. He met up again with The Doctor – and between the pair they had many adventures…but his conscious kept telling him it was time to return…to come home. He listened only because the voice had a certain Welsh lilt and timber that he knew he would never hear again.

He was still a broken man…he ran as far and as fast as he could before The Doctor stumbled across him on some far flung world, but he couldn't banish the guilt. A line of a poem ran constantly through his mind every time he made planetfall on a different world, a poem Ianto liked: _He saw, but not as one that wakes, the city that he sought. He had escaped from London town, but not from his own thought_. Ianto was gone, Steven died at his own hand and his daughter wished him every evil in the universe. And he was going to live forever…whether he wanted to or not.

He knocked on the Tourist Information Office door hesitantly. He almost walked away because he couldn't bear the thought of not seeing Ianto Jones perched behind the counter in one of his impeccable three piece suits, a claret red silk shirt and matching striped tie. _Ianto_…

Just as he was about to turn away, the door flew open and Jack found his arms filled with two women who tugged him into the office and promptly shut the door. Gwen and Martha both were crying, hanging onto Jack as if their lives depended on it. Jack, in turn, began to cry himself. Long ago he thought he had lost the ability to cry…but these two beautiful women that meant a great to him made him realize it was time to let ghosts rest. It was time to forgive himself and remember the good times with the wonderful gift that was Ianto Jones.

And maybe…he could live again.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Torchwood and Doctor Who are not mine – all the characters are RTD's except my OC's…and RTD's a Serious Big Blue Meanie! Don't really know where this one came from – but just go with me here_.

Summary: Jack meets two from his past…both almost kill him.

Torchwood: Doppelgangers

Chapter Two: Two Blasts From The Past

The familiar black Torchwood SUV rolled down the gravel road to the pub/inn and stopped. After a few minutes, Jack, Gwen and Martha stepped out of the vehicle and looked over to the inn in the encroaching gloom. Jackson and Mickey remained behind to man the Hub…and because they both _hated _the country with a passion. Jack smiled at that. _Owen…_ he thought.

'Did you ever think we'd be back here?' Gwen asked as she looked at the inn's new sign, proclaiming it to be 'The Inn At The End'. Jack looked up at the windows of the second floor, then to the sky. _Ianto had been badly beaten here, the lead cannibal bastard called it "tenderizing"_. Jack too looked up at the sign. 'Well, looks like the new people have a sense of humor,' he said as he went to the boot to get everyone's overnight bags.

I_anto's skin was so black and blue it was if he was one giant bruise_. Jack took care of him the first few weeks of Ianto's convalescence. _He could barely walk to the loo_… He shook himself trying to get the thought out of his head.

The door to the inn opened and a figure walked towards them. It was hard to see with the approaching darkness of night and the bright light of the inn blinding them.

'Hello,' a female, slightly New York City American accent greeted them. 'Are you guys Torchwood?'

Jack froze once he saw the woman, his mouth hung slightly open. He was silent and looked as if he'd seen a ghost. 'Yes,' Gwen said immediately, stepping towards the woman and offering her her hand. The woman grasped it firmly and shook. 'I am Field Operative Gwen Williams, the gentleman is Captain Jack Harkness, our Director and this is our medic, Martha Jones.'

'We weren't expected you all 'til tomorrow, but no worries. I can have three rooms for you in no time. Come on in – we have good food and the liquor ain't nothing to sneeze at neither, if you're interested,' the woman continued good naturedly. 'Name's Miriam Estrella Gabriel – but just call me MEG. The boys are waiting inside – let's all get in. Too damn cold out here for me.'

The pub was busy, so different from the last time Gwen mused. 'Brynnblaidd constabulary has put out the call far and wide. Fifteen experienced spelunkers – five or six moderate climbers. Looks like a decent crew. We're going at four different locations, the caves and crevasses may be connected, you never know. And to beat all, they put me in charge for some odd reason,' Meg said, smiling brightly. She went to a small podium and grabbed three sets of keys pegged into its underside. 'Rooms 7, 8 and 9. Each room's got a water closet with a shower, kind of tight but I'm sure you guys have had worse.'

'Well, from what we were told, you are the most experienced climber in these parts,' Martha interjected. 'You climbed Mount Everest!'

'Climbed…but never got to the summit. Hypoxia – blood in my lungs. Ended up getting a first class trip down in a med chopper and six weeks in an iron lung. Tried it again 2 years later – nasty weather set it – we aborted before we'd all end up buried on the damn thing. Thank God no frostbite – but I did have a problem holding things for weeks after,' Meg said, still smiling.

'How about the time you climbed K-2 with Tad?' A man said from behind the bar. 'Ifan, take over for me, yeah?' he yelled towards the back as he strode over to the group.

'Ah…my triumph,' she said, looping her arm around his waist. 'This fine gentleman is Ambrose Jeffries. He and his brother are family to two of the victims; their parents. Malcolm and Emily Jeffries. They were the dearest friends I had on this planet. Mal and Emmie were free spirits; I was basically damage control for those two. They bought the place in 2000. Mal rang me in New York, blathering about how wonderful the country air and quiet were, blah, blah, blah. I'm a city girl at heart. Don't get me wrong; being on top of the world, where you can almost see the separation of our atmosphere and the stars above is awe inspiring…but give me Times Square and Piccadilly Circus any other day of the week.'

'Besides,' said Ambrose quietly. 'You might have been turned into stew.'

Meg thumped him in his stomach with her fist. 'Be careful what you say – loose lips destroy emotional ships around here.' She then turned to the group. 'Ifan, Ambrose's younger brother, still has a hard time dealing with everything.'

'We understand,' Jack said, suddenly finding his voice. 'You said you were from the city. New York?'

'Yeah – My mom's parents were from Spain. Decided to boogie out after WWII. They survived the Civil War and Franco and the Nazis – and then decided they'd had enough. My mom was born about two, maybe three years later – she met a guy and they had me at the close of the sixties,' Meg explained as she disentangled herself from the young man and pointed the group up the steps. 'Might as well get settled in. Dinner tonight is chicken stew with vegetables and rice and red kidney beans on the side – a specialty of mine. Descent won't be until day after tomorrow – but it'll give you all time to get acquainted with the data the locals and I have been able to drum up.'

'Thank you,' Gwen said as they went up the steps. Jack had a sort of dreamy look on his face. Both Gwen and Martha cornered him on the staircase landing. 'Are you okay, Jack?' Gwen asked.

The faraway gaze left his eyes and he focused on the two women before him. 'Yeah – Meg's grandma. I knew her. Melina Rosado was her name. Meg is her spitting image. Meg's middle name is 'estrella'. I used to call Lina my guiding star…that is what her middle name means. 'Star',' Jack said sadly as he held his hand out for a key. 'Let's get this stowed and get some chow…I'm famished.'

~~TWTWTW~~

When the three came down the steps, Meg waved them over to a large round table. 'You sit – I have to help the boys feed the masses. Is beer okay for everyone? Or would you rather something else?'

'Brains for me,' Gwen answered.

'Same here,' Jack and Martha chorused.

'Cool,' Meg said, writing it on her notepad. 'Tonight's special okay? Ifan did put together a vegetarian version for those put off meat at the moment.'

'No,' Jack answered. 'I think we're okay,' he said looking to the two women. They both nodded their approval.

'Great!' Meg said, putting her pad away. 'Recipe is my grandma's. Hope you enjoy!'

Jack watched as she trotted to another table where some tourists spilled a few lagers and were calling for help and napkins. He smiled at hearing her merry laughter and suggestion that the group get to bed before they passed out at the table. 'God,' he breathed. 'She is so much like her grandmother.'

'Was she before or after Estelle?' Gwen asked. Jack smirked.

'Before – a few months. And after. Torchwood and the RAF sent me on a mission to try and help the rebels so that Franco would stay out of the war. It worked…but by 1946, Lina couldn't deal anymore. She was so broken. Rafael was a good man for her. He knew some of the horrors she faced. They met up with me in London before they boarded a ship for America,' Jack sighed then. _Ianto…_ he shook his head. 'Guess it worked out for her in the end.'

Meg, Ambrose and a third man came out with their food and drink and set it before them. 'If you want seconds, there's more than enough left. Meg made enough for a bloody army,' a voice Jack, Martha and Gwen never thought they'd hear again. The blood in Jack's face drained away as he looked towards the newcomer. Other than the fact that his hair was longer and he had a beard – he was the spitting image of… 'Ian...Ianto?' Jack whispered.

'No,' the young man said, smiling slightly. 'Same thing happened a few months ago when I was in Cardiff.' He turned to Meg. 'I told you we should have gone to London. Apparently _everyone_ in that damn town thinks I'm someone else.'

'This ray of sunshine is Ifan Jeffries,' Meg said, introducing him to the group. 'Who's Ianto by the way? The poor woman that accosted Ifan in town cried like a little girl and ran away after apologizing profusely once we explained he wasn't this… Ianto.'

Jack turned his head down and went silent. Gwen and Martha put their hands on his in comfort and support. Martha turned to Meg and Ifan. 'He was a co-worker of ours. He was one of those killed in Thames House by the 456.'

Meg and Ifan visibly paled. 'And that woman….is she related to him?' Ifan asked.

Gwen nodded. 'His sister – her name is Rhiannon. She called me and told me about her encounter with you,' she said, nodding towards Ifan. 'I went over and comforted her as best I could.'

'That was what Mam and Tad said they'd name a girl if they ever had one. I am so sorry for your loss,' Ifan said, leaning towards them all. 'I'll…ah…go check on the pudding,' he finished, practically running out of the room towards the kitchen. Meg looked to the group.

'Best go check on him,' she said, then turned in the direction the young man had fled.

Ambrose smiled at the group, then took an empty chair and sat with them. 'Ifan…he was in Oxford when that nasty business happened. He was working on his doctorate degree -.'

'Doctorate?!' Jack asked, incredulously. 'How old is he? Twenty-five? Six?'

'Damn his baby face. He's 33,' Ambrose answered. 'Ifan is a genius. He has a perfect eidetic memory. His I.Q. was measured at 195, but Mam and Tad always believed it was higher. He's rubbish at tests.'

'What's his doctorate in?' Martha asked.

'Quantum Temporal Physics in relation to Possible Time Travel,' Meg said, returning with two beers. She handed one to Ambrose. 'Kelly's on the phone,' she said to him. Ambrose sighed and nodded to the group as he rose from the chair. Meg smiled as she took the chair Ambrose just vacated. 'His Ole Ball and Chain. I swear, she's got to have him on the world's shortest leash,' she finished as she took a swig of her beer.

'What about you?' Jack asked. 'Why are you here instead of the city?'

'Well, Mal made me owner of the place – the boys co-own with me. I'm a bit of a rolling stone – I guess Mal and Emmie figured I needed a place to grow roots, call home. Have a flat in London, a nice condo in Manhattan's West Side and I travel extensively. The main reason I keep this place is Ifan. The cities are a bit too chaotic for him…he sometimes has difficultly with crowds. I was thinking of getting a cottage in Oxford when this cannibal stuff went down. Poor thing cried for days…he's such an academic! Crazy crap throws his whole world outta kilter.'

'Are you and he…?' Gwen left the question open; she felt it was a little too personal but couldn't stop from asking.

'Yeah – we're a couple. Took him two years of pursuing me…but the bastard won in the end. I am older that him…by ten years. But I guess he likes May-December romances,' here she gave them a smile that was anything but demure. 'And he's great…in more ways than one. I'm blessed.'

'Talking about me again?' Ifan asked as he came through with apple crumble for everyone. 'Ambrose talking to The Warden?' he asked when he saw his brother wasn't at the table. Jack almost spit up his beer.

'Yeah,' Meg answered. 'You are so mean…that makes you even cuter, I hope you know.'

Ifan rolled his eyes. _God, just like Ianto_… Jack thought. 'Control yourself, you insatiable wonton woman,' he deadpanned. Gwen, Martha and Meg all spit their beer out and began laughing.

'I swear he times those verbal gems,' Meg complained as she stood up and kissed him on his cheek. 'Well, I'm off to bed. Just dump your plates in the tub on the bar – we'll get them in the morning. Breakfast's at 8 sharp. I'll take you to the site after.' She then gave the group an appraising look. 'I'm gonna assume the RAF poster boy is the only one among you with any kind of harness/jump training?' Everyone nodded. 'Okay, Captain – you'll be the extra on my team day after. The ladies will stay topside with Ifan. He's my backup.'

'Are you sure you couldn't use a medic?' Martha asked.

Meg shook her head. 'We've got five with EMT training; drop's not that far down – 1500 feet from what we've been told. Provided no one rips open a major artery, we should be able to get them up topside within ten minutes. I need people with experience, Miss Jones. And I've not the time to train you to my specs. Sorry, but your feet stay planted on Terra Firma.' She then looked to Ifan. 'See you in a bit, trouble maker,' she said softly, kissing him lightly on his lips and then she walked away. Jack looked longingly after her as she went up the stairs.

Ifan noticed the look Jack gave Meg, then stepped into his line of sight. Jack understood that look all too well – it was the look one man gave another when the interloper was stepping into claimed territory. Jack flashed him his standard Harkness grin; Ifan then stepped back.

'I'm off to bed. Good night all. And again, I am so sorry for your loss,' he said softly as he took their empty beer bottles. 'Any seconds before I lock up?' Jack nodded.

'Beers and water?' he asked. Ifan nodded as he went towards the kitchen. Gwen then turned to Jack.

'He isn't Ianto,' she cautioned. 'She isn't Melina - and he's with her. Let them both be, Jack.'

He nodded as the second cutest Welshman Jack had ever seen brought their drinks and cleared their used dishes. 'Night all,' Ifan said as he left.

Jack couldn't help but stare at his arse as he walked towards the bar, then up the stairs and away.

AN: Hope this whets your appetite for more. Next chapter: Jack gets into it with both doppelgangers; they both give him pieces of their mind as he learns more about both of them. The climb down the crevasse reveals more than just bones – and Meg and Ifan's lives change forever.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: You guys are BEYOND AWESOME!!! My stories are over 2,000 hits for July! This little story has had 349 hits for the first two chapters! Thank you EVERYONE!!! Hey – anyone get the line from the poem that Ianto liked? Virtual choco-chip biscuits and shout-outs for anyone that gets it._

_Okay – RTD owns everything dealing with TW & DW – I only __borrow__ the characters. The OC's however – MINE!!!!_

Torchwood: Doppelgangers

Chapter Three: Falling Down Unknown Rabbit Holes

Morning found the Jeffries brothers at the bar setting up a breakfast buffet and Meg nowhere to be seen. Jack was watching every move Ifan was making until, in a huff, Ifan threw a tea towel that had been slung over his shoulder towards the bar sink and disappeared into the kitchen. Gwen put her hand on top of Jack's. He nodded and looked towards his two colleagues.

'Sorry,' he mumbled.

'You don't have to apologize to us,' Martha said softly. 'You have to say it to them,' she said, tossing her head in the general direction of their hosts. The three sat in uncomfortable silence that was in the pub. The others present could feel a tension had settled amongst their three hosts and it, strangely enough, had to do with the newcomers that came in the evening before.

Meg, Ifan and Ambrose appeared with steel trays ladled with pancakes, waffles, scramble, bangers, bacon, ham, and mash. There were also boxes of cereal and cold milk, porridge, cream and juices – and for those with stronger constitutions – lagers. Ambrose then clanged a bell that hung at bar.

'Come on everyone! Time to 'Break your Fast,' he said in his cheerful voice. 'None of us are on ceremony here. Grab a plate and dig in! Ifan will be taking everyone who signed up for the bus tour out by 9:30 am. Have fun taking pictures of frozen hills and brown shrubs!' The group gathered in the pub laughed at that as many rose to queue for plates to ladle food on. As the Torchwood group came up, Ambrose leaned over to Jack. 'When you've a minute, a chat, yeah?'

Jack looked to his face for a moment, then nodded. He filled his own plate and grabbed milk and orange juice as he headed back to the table.

'Playing nice with the locals?' Martha asked playfully as he sat down. Jack shrugged and tucked in to his food. Meg and Ifan sailed through the pub, asking everyone if they wanted coffee. When Ifan came up to their table, coffee carafe in hand, Jack looked up and promptly choked on his food. Gwen patted his back as Martha thanked Ifan for the coffee.

'Hope you enjoy it,' he said conversationally. 'I'm rubbish at coffee making – its Meg's gift. Great smelling stuff – from Columbia, she says. I'm not allowed anywhere near the coffee machine. Burn the bloody stuff every time.' The three of them smiled as they drank the delicious brew, thinking of their Welsh Tea Boy.

As breakfast dishes were being cleared from the tables, Meg asked the team to stay after so she could show them the crevasse that they were going down the next day. She also had reports from the authorities concerning geological information for the area.

The groups within the pub then began to break up – those leaving for good paid up their bills with Ambrose while others went off on nature hikes of their own or hired out horses for rides or waited for long distance buses to take them on to their final destinations. The girls went upstairs to collect their coats and some kit while Jack remained behind in the pub waiting for Meg to take them out.

Stepping towards the bar, he witnessed Ifan grab onto Meg possessively in the kitchen; they were in an obviously heated discussion. He then took hold of her right arm and shook her slightly. She promptly kicked him in his left shin with her booted foot, then allowed her knee to brush the underside of his gonads as he leaned down in pain. She then grabbed his shoulders and pushed her knee higher, earning a groan from Ifan and a grimace from Jack.

'Try that again,' he heard her growl into the man's ear. 'And I'll buy you the gold posts so you can wear your balls as earrings.' She then let go and backed away from him in disgust.

'I..,' Ifan swallowed, trying to get his breathing under control. 'I don't like the way he looks at you. His eyes follow you wherever you go.'

'Cheese and Rice!' she exclaimed. 'And you haven't seen the way he looks at your arse when you walk around?!'

'I can take care of myself,' he grumbled, sitting down gingerly on a stool. Meg walked to the icebox and handed him an icepack wrapped in a tea towel.

'And so can I,' she said steadily. 'Don't forget what I used to do for a living.' She motioned to the icepack. 'Don't worry. It won't wet your pants and you'll still have the ability to procreate afterwards.' She then sighed and leaned against the kitchen stove and grill. 'E…I love you,' she whispered. 'But if you're going to act like this every time a cute human male with a pulse walks in the pub, this thing between us is going to have a terminally short life span. I am NOT going to jump the first fast train that breezes in to get away from you. I tried that for two years. And like Michael Corleone, every time I thought I got away, you just kept pulling me back.' They both chuckled at that.

She then pushed off of the stove/grill and walked up until she stood between his legs. 'We've been together for three years, Ifan. I'm not going anywhere. I'm done with that. I'm here…with you. Because I want to be. I wish…I just wish you'd believe me.'

Ifan then bit his lip – _Like Ianto_, Jack thought. He looked into her eyes and gathered her in his arms.

'I love you,' he said, pulling her closer. 'I don't want to lose you. I'm sorry if I act like a jealous git. You've done nothing to make me worry. But…,' his voice trailed off.

'But what?' she asked, punching him in his shoulder.

'He…he looks at you the way I used to…before we were together. Like he's pining for someone…someone he's lost…or never had. I'm…I'm being a Welsh arse at the moment; I won't doubt you again,' he finished pulling her close again. She looked into his eyes and smirked.

'You are being a Welsh arse,' she murmured finally, agreeing with him. 'But you're my Welsh arse and I can deal with it.' She then kissed him on his lips and he deepened the kiss. After a few minutes, she pulled away. 'Now, I'd ask you to take me upstairs to apologize to me properly, but you have to take ten tourists on a bus trip around the damn Beacons. Don't forget your handset and I've charged up the batteries so you should be okay.'

Ifan kissed her again before letting go. 'Yes, Mam,' he answered, kissing her nose.

Jack heard the slap to Ifan's demin clad rear and the yelp that followed as he raced up the staircase so as not to be caught. He watched Ifan exit the kitchen as Meg started working on the dishes. Ifan then exited the inn and greeted the tourists waiting outside. Jack watched from the landing window as they followed him to a beat up Range Rover bus. As he heard the bus's engine roar to life, he trotted down the stairs as Ambrose came up from the cellar. He gave Jack an appraising look. 'Hiding in the stairway?' he asked knowingly.

Jack balked.

'Not enough footsteps down,' he said in explanation as he collected the last bit of detritus around the pub. 'Taking the Captain for a walk, Meg,' he said as he dumped his collection into the bar bin. 'We'll be outside when you're ready to go,' he finished as he grabbed his coat and motioned Jack towards the front door.

Ambrose and Jack walked behind the inn towards a stable area.

'This wasn't here before,' Jack commented, noting the newness of the building and horses inside the structure.

'The Warden's idea,' he said smiling. 'Ifan's pet name for my wife. We keep a few horses here for those that want to horseback ride across the Beacons. Got the family about two hours away from here; Kelly hates the country. She says she loves to watch it from the car window as we drive by.' He sighed as he shook out a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket and lit one up. He took in Jack's disapproving stare and simply smiled. 'They all hate it,' he commented, waving back towards the inn. 'But…with everything that's been happening…well. It keeps me calm. Haven't smoked in seven years; gave up after we received word our parents were missing and presumed dead. Then Tad's solicitor rang up Meg…she was in Dubai and was on the next plane to Cardiff and here. Thirty-six at the time; I was thirty-one and Ifan was twenty-six. I had just married, Ifan looked like he was going to have a fellowship at Oxford…or at least have a new wing named after him…then this happened.' He stopped and took another long drag from the cigarette.

'Ifan was devastated. Meg…Meg wasn't the kind woman you eavesdropped on in there at that time. She…she's had a hard life…and this wasn't what she wanted. She loved our Tad – but he was already married when they first met,' he pulled his wallet out and gave Jack a dog-eared picture of a younger Meg – sun and wind burnt – next to a man that looked like Ambrose except his hair was brown-blonde, unlike Ambrose's and Ifan's dark brown locks. They were sitting on a snow covered rock drinking champagne out of fluted glasses and toasting the camera.

'That was on K-2's summit,' he said as Jack handed him back the photo. He put it back into his wallet and continued. 'She never crossed that line. But he was gone, and she wanted nothing more than to run as fast and as far away as she could.' Jack nodded in understanding; he knew that feeling far too well.

'She meandered for a few years before my brother grew a pair and went after her. She fought him tooth and nail – she was too old for him. She couldn't have kids with him; she was used and useless while he was still young and new. God, I was never happier that I was married; at least my love life was sorted. Then, she showed up for Ifan's thirtieth birthday. He had finished his doctorate and had all sorts of think tanks asking for him, trying to woo him away. She walked up to him and handed him a card; inside it said: "Okay – you win." Don't know what that was all about, but then she moved in and has been here ever since.' Ambrose took another long drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke out and the ash off the end of it as he eyed the Captain. 'I don't know what your story is, but like Ifan, I can feel your pain; see your loss. Don't confuse my brother with your Ianto. Your guy's dead and gone, may he rest in peace. And my brother fought like a bear for that woman in there,' he said, gesturing over his shoulder towards the inn again. 'Don't fuck it up for either of them, yeah?'

Jack nodded as Ambrose stubbed out the cigarette and put the stub in his pocket. 'Have to put this in the sink and then the bin or else Meg will have my head. Let's get in – now I can use a coffee of Meg's. The woman is a demon when it comes to the Black Gold Liquor here,' he said, trudging around the corner back towards the inn.

Jack was about to follow when a memory hit him full force…

_Melina Rosado was walking towards their convoy in the dead of night, a rifle trained on his group while a hand gun was trained to his head._

'_Are you the ones I was told to expect?' she asked in Spanish._

_Jack nodded, then handed her a sealed envelope. She opened it and read with the light of the transport truck's headlamp. She then looked up into his chiseled face. 'And you are?'_

'_Captain Jack Harkness,' he said softly. He realized she was a beautiful woman – and he knew how to charm just about anything on this planet._

_She gave him and the others with him a critical visual assessment. 'You have brought the food and supplies we requested?' Jack nodded. 'You will have to stay in the shadows. You are too pretty. You will be noticed. Your face would be remembered.' She then whistled low and seven others came out of the nearby thatch of trees and bushes. 'These are my people – we will take you to our camp. Follow us – and put the blinders on the headlamps.'_

_In the camp, food and coffee was being served. Jack was used to the swill most offered, but he was taken aback when he took the proffered cup and tasted liquid heaven. 'Wow,' he said, savoring the taste completely. The man that gave him the cup smiled._

'_Melina's brew,' he said, smiling. 'She has cojones, that one.'_

'_What do you mean?' Jack asked. The man smiled._

'_The coffee came from a transport headed for town. It was to go to the mayor's mansion. A high ranking official of Franco's government is there. The coffee was from his personal stock.'_

_Jack looked to the cup in his hand – and then started laughing._

'Melina,' he whispered as he entered the warm inn.

~~TWTWTW~~

When he made it inside, he found Meg, Martha and Gwen at the entrance waiting for him. Meg handed him a coffee in a take-away cup. 'Let's get moving – it's not far, but the area has no trees and the winds out there are brutal.'

Ambrose waved to them to wait for him from the kitchen window as he was preparing lunch for the group Ifan would be bringing back. Hopefully, they would be back by then as well, but he had packed a basket for them just in case.

'But how did you make it down without killing anyone?' Martha was asking as Jack walked to them.

Meg sighed. 'It wasn't easy. We already had three with bad frostbite. I knew that meant amputation when we reached Base Camp 1. I just wanted to get everyone down; nine of us. Never thought I'd be so happy to see a tented camp. Twenty one hours straight climbing…felt like hell when it was all said and done. No frostbite for me – but there was extensive nerve damage. Did two more climbs after that on K-2; one with Malcolm and the last by myself. Did it with minimum support crew. Finished the whole thing in ten days. And that ended it for me. I'll climb El Capitan in Yellowstone for chuckles and giggles…do Mount Hood when I want more of a challenge – but it was Everest that cured it for me.'

'And yet, you still like sky diving,' Ambrose said, coming out with the hamper and bottled water and a kiss to Meg's forehead.

'Hey – never said the Adrenalin Junkie in me was completely dead,' Meg answered, shrugging her shoulders as she took the bottles from him. 'That's why I said yes to tomorrow's Freeze-A-Thon.' She looked up to Ambrose. 'Got my radio – channel three is me. Should be back by 12:30pm. If we're late – call me,' she said, waving the radio at him as she walked towards the Torchwood SUV.

'We'll do,' he said, waving everyone off as they climbed in to the SUV. Gwen gave Meg the seat next Jack.

'You'll be able to give him directions,' she said in explanation. Meg simply nodded and, taking off her rucksack, slid in the passenger front seat.

'What do you mean "freeze-a-thon"?' Martha asked.

Meg turned around to face her. 'Drop is fifteen hundred feet down. Little to no sun, so we'll be bringing our own light. Average temp at that depth is going to be around or a few degrees below freezing – so we'll all be following strict cold weather protocols: survival suits, long johns of cotton over silk, woolen socks, thick boots and gloves, whole nine yards.' She then turned to Jack. 'And so sorry – but tomorrow the greatcoat stays topside. Ifan's got a few down fleece jackets that will do you fine.'

Once they were accommodated and off, Meg stared at the SUV's interior. 'Man, Ifan would _love_ to get a look in here,' she said in admiration. 'So – you guys really are alien catchers?'

Jack sighed. After The Crown reinstated Torchwood, it was decided that the organization no longer remain in the background. Jack wasn't happy when he was officially debriefed and named Director of all Torchwood facilities, but he knew The Crown was trying to make sure that if there was another alien crisis and the UK was involved, that everyone knew Torchwood was front and center – and UNIT was simply there for muscle and decoration.

'And we also learn from them – and when we can – we try to help them get home,' Gwen answered.

'Or you torch 'em good, like the 456,' Meg returned. 'Bastards deserved that and more. Saw the footage your insider took of the 'secret negotiations'. I hear you can still find pieces of Prime Minister Greene outside of where his house stood if you look hard enough. Mind you, nothing could have survived the explosion and inferno that house went through. Fire companies refused to put the house out – they just made sure the fire didn't damage any other structures. That's what I call real love for your elected officials,' Meg finished smugly.

'So what did you do before you became an inn keeper?' Jack asked, remembering a tidbit from her and Ifan's conversation in the kitchen.

'_And so can I,' she said steadily. 'Don't forget what I used to do for a living.'_

'Ah…,' she began, her cheeks coloring slightly. 'I've always had money. I'd like to say I earned it the old-fashioned way. I earned it, but I also inherited a lot of it. My mom's parents weren't the poor folk we were led to believe. When they died, they gave Mom some of it – but they left the bulk of it in trust for me when I turned twenty-one and again at forty. I realized I had more than enough money and not a freaking clue what to do with it. I had already been to the top of the world…what else was there? So there I was in Switzerland, arranging the transfer of my inheritance money from one account to several others, when I remembered there was a brilliant Welshman living out in the Beacons that had a mind greater than Einstein's who wrote me earlier that month to say he had my name tattooed on his arse and that I'd ought to come round to see it. And if I really liked it – he could always get me the name of the tattoo artist. He then went on to say that if I showed up at his birthday party, he'd pay for my tattoo himself.'

At this, everyone in the car was sniggering. 'Well, after an invite like that, I was on the next plane to London, then Cardiff – and a long rental car ride here. Of course, when I show up for his birthday party, all I could think of was getting him in a quiet room so I could find out if it was true.'

'So,' began Jack, smiling. 'Was it?'

'What he forgot to mention was the fact that he included the words 'Property Of' on top. All I could think was 'Rosanne Barr and Tom Arnold.'

At that, everyone in the SUV was roaring with laughter as Meg gave directions to Jack that got them on their way.

~~TWTWTW~~

'Wow,' Martha said with awe as they stood on the lip of the crevasse and peered down.

'You can say that again,' Meg answered, then turned to Jack. 'Captain – that rig of yours have a wench?' she asked, pointing to the SUV.

Jack nodded. 'In the back, why?'

Meg pointed down. 'Interested in a little rekkie?'

Jack smiled an honest-to-goodness Harkness grin. 'Fantastic!'

'Turn the SUV around so the wench is facing the crevasse – we'll go down maybe fifty to one hundred feet maximum. See just how far down it really is to bottom,' Meg said, pulling the rucksack from the passenger side of the SUV as Jack jumped in behind the wheel and turned the vehicle on. Once the SUV was in place, Gwen and Martha set about locking the wench down while Meg and Jack put on the climb harnesses. Meg had changed her shoes to climbing ones that were thinner and more pliable. They almost looked like thick ballet slippers. She then pulled on a set of climber's gloves and gave Jack a pair. 'We don't know what kind of rock may be down there. It changes as we go further down. These make sure you don't leave bits of your hands behind.' She then turned to the ladies. 'We have no radio communication so we're doing this VCO – Visual Contact Only. You're going to lower us down to that ledge right there,' Meg said, pulling both Gwen and Martha close to edge and pointed down. 'That's about seventy-five to one hundred feet down. We'll give this,' she pointed to the cable. 'A yank when we want up. I'm taking my radio to the pub down just in case. If anything does go wrong, I'll radio them and you guys sit tight. We're dressed warm enough for a quickie down and up.' She then looked at Jack's face. 'And whatever dirty remark is brewing in your skull, Captain, had better stay there. Capisce?'

Smirking, Jack nodded. He then turned to his ladies. 'Lower us down,' he said softly. 'See you in a bit,' he said, winking at Gwen.

It was quiet on their descent, but like Meg said, it was cold. It was the damp cold that blew through you no matter how warm your clothes were. It was brutal. In nine minutes they reached the ledge. 'Cut the engine!' Jack yelled above. They both heard as well as felt the vibrations of the wench's motor cut as it was turned off. 'Give a little slack!' Meg yelled up. 'About three turns worth!' They felt as the motor was turned on, then turned off. 'We'll yank it when we want up!' she yelled up.

'Okay!' she heard Gwen's voice reply.

She then turned to the Captain. 'Well, now that we're alone…I guess it's time we had a little chat.'

Jack turned to her, then turning on his portable torch, began examining the cave wall and ledge they were perched on.

'How much does Ifan look like your Ianto?' she asked softly. Jack gave up the pretense of work and looked at her.

'All you would need to do is cut his hair, shave off his beard and put him in a stylish three piece suit, claret red shirt and accompanying tie,' Jack said softly. 'He…he even sounds like him.'

'He meant a great deal to you,' Meg stated. Jack simply nodded. 'I am so sorry,' Meg said softly. 'I know a lot about Torchwood. More than I really want to know. My grandmother, Melina, told me about you, Captain Jack Harkness. She told me one day we'd meet – and that I had to be careful of you. Because you weren't like other people. She saw you get your right arm and leg blown off from stepping on a tank mine some Franco idiot put near a road the rebels travelled on. She said they thought you were dead – and that you screamed back to life – and that your arm and leg grew back. My Abuelita wasn't totally nuts when she packed it in – and pictures don't lie,' she said, going into her jacket and pulling out an old photo. She handed it to Jack. It was of him, Melina and Rafael as they stood before the ocean steam liner that was taking the Rosado couple away from Europe and its horrendous memories. It was taking them to America…to freedom…to peace. Jack sighed as he handed the photo back, but said nothing.

They stood in silence for a few minutes until Meg took a deep breath and looked up from where they had come down from. 'I know Ambrose gave you a little chat – now I'm giving you mine. I know I look a lot like Abuelita. Used to get that from my mom and her friends all the time. But I'm not her. I used to work Special Ops myself in the day; that's why I know a lot more about Torchwood then your average 'Torchie' fan. Did a lot of 'wetwork' I am SO not proud of…but Ifan saw his way around it and accepted me just the way I am: a used up ex-Executive Actions Operative. That's how I made MY money. I sought my redemption by trying to see if the world's largest, most unpredictable peaks could finish me off – but God decided I needed to stick around for a bit…to take care of one of his most perfect creatures…a man that I allowed to have 'Property Of Ifan' tattooed on my arse for.'

Jack chuckled at that.

'Ifan isn't a kid; he can fight his own battles. But I'm gonna put it out there – back off. He's not your guy – and I'd kill him myself before I'd let your Torchwood fuck up his life. Your organization is like the Ebola virus to its operatives: it infects everything and after it's turned your insides to jelly, you just bleed out.' She stepped up to him then, making Jack take a step back. He saw the look in her eyes as they bored into his; she wasn't making a threat. She was making a bonafide promise. 'Stay away from him. You clear on that?'

Jack nodded. 'Crystal,' he answered. 'And…I'm sorry. I…I don't want to ruin what you have with him. I…I know how hard it is to find The One. And I know how much more it hurts to lose them. Really.'

Meg held out a hand to him which he took without question. 'Hello Captain Jack Harkness of the 133rd Squadron. My name is Miriam Estrella Gabriel and I was named 'Star' because of you. Nice to finally meet you,' she said softly, smiling.

'Nice to meet you,' Jack answered, smiling back. 'Now – let's get to that rekkie, cause I don't know about you, but I'm freezing my keester off here.'

Meg laughed brightly at that as she dropped to her knees and, laying flat on her stomach, looked over the edge. She removed a torch from her rucksack and pointed it down. 'Now,' she said, looking down for a few minutes. 'What the heck is that?' she asked, pointing to a large strangely shaped stone in the center of the crevasse leaning against the far wall another two hundred feet down. 'It looks like it goes straight down,' she mused, casting the light of her torch further down. 'That isn't indigenous rock. That's something totally different.'

Jack looked at her and smiled grimly. '"Curiouser and Curiouser said Alice to the Rabbit",' he quoted. Meg pulled a digital camera out of her rucksack and snapped a few photos. She then turned and grabbed a few rock samples from the ledge and cave wall. She snapped a few final photos and bagged the samples and camera.

'I'm ready if you are,' she said as she secured her rucksack. 'Let's get cracking, McCracken!' she finished as she yanked on the wire rope. 'Pull us up!' she yelled above.

~~TWTWTW~~

They were back by lunch, so they had the picnic lunch in the game room by a piping hot pot belly stove and a roaring fireplace in the center of the room. Meg paced briefly by the door, glancing at the wall clock in the pub from time to time. The familiar roar of the Range Rover's engine relieved her greatly as she rushed outside to watch the bus pull in and disgorge its passengers. Ifan came out, grinning broadly as he saw _his_ woman standing outside in the cold waiting for him.

'You daft woman,' he said good naturedly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 'Get inside before you catch your death.'

'We've a lot to talk about…when you're ready. Don't worry. Your brother and I have already had words with him, but you can finish him off if you like,' she said softly. 'Any problems out there with this lot?'

'Nah,' he said as he rushed her into the pub and its warmth. 'It's going to be bitter tomorrow. How was the first look down there?'

'Found something really weird; but it was too far away to do anything more than take a few pics. I almost want to say the formation looked like granite, but it's the biggest piece I've ever seen. It looked like it went all the way down. I hooked the camera up and already printed out all of the pictures. I've also brought samples,' she said in a sing-song voice. Ifan grabbed her and kissed her hard on her lips.

'Oi!' yelled Ambrose. 'Control yourselves in front of the guests! They didn't pay for that kind of show!' The answering roar from those gathered made both Ifan and Meg blush furiously and as they passed him, they both gave him good swats as they went towards the kitchen. Ambrose, smiling, then turned to the crowd. 'Lunch is ready – a nice hearty beef and potato soup with lots of bread. And, of course, the bar is open!'

~~TWTWTW~~

After lunch had been cleared away and the few remaining guests ambled back to their rooms or took the horses out for a trot, Meg spread out the maps and pictures in the game room on one of the pool tables and the cork board on the wall. There was a flurry of activity as most of the volunteers for the climbs the next day began arriving.

Dinner was a raucous affair with all the new people that arrived – and a cheer went up from behind the bar when a suited gentleman entered through the front door. Ambrose, Ifan and Meg crowded the man as he laughed and carried on with them. He was quickly hustled into the back and Ifan went round to all the tables to serve drinks. He stopped at the Torchwood table and smiled. 'That is a rep from the constabulary. He's an old family friend. His parents convinced ours to come out here…they lived too far away to know what was going on out here. His parents…they still feel a bit queer about the business here, but we don't hold it against them personally. It's good to see Gav though,' he sighed then. 'Right then. Coffee or something stronger?'

'Coffee,' Jack said, smiling. 'With perhaps a touch of something…warmer in it?'

'Same here,' Gwen said.

'Works for me,' Martha finished. 'Stews are fab, by the way. Chance of getting seconds?'

'Of course,' Ifan said, writing everything down. 'Back in a mo''. He then walked on to the next table. Jack looked after him, then up to Ambrose at the bar. Ambrose smiled in return. Everything was now understood. But he knew Ifan would want a word with him later.

After everyone was settled and coffees, teas and bottles of water were passed around, those who were part of the climb moved into the gaming room. Meg then called for everyone's attention.

'Hello everyone!' she yelled above the crowd. Those gathered returned the greeting. 'Well, I'm Miriam Gabriel, call me Meg. We've a rep from the Brynnblaidd Constabulary here, give Inspector Detective Gavin Myles a hand,' she said, pointing to the gentleman standing in the corner. All the climbers smirked, then silently put out their left hands towards him.

Meg started chuckling and the detective and others soon joined her. 'Cute,' she said grinning. 'Okay the remaining climbers should be all here by four am tomorrow morning. The Constabulary will be on the sites by six am with heavy equipment and wenches. Base Camp will be set up where Alpha Team – mine – will drop. We'll all put our brains together by 6:30am for a final plan of attack and get on all sites and start by 7:30am absolute latest,' Meg began. 'If the numbers come that have been promised we'll have four teams going at it from four different locations – named Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. Each team will have one person EMT trained, at least one experienced climber/repeler and four true spelunkers. Techniques for cave jumping differs slightly from mountain climbing, so spelunkers, keep an eye out for us mountain jockeys. Make sure everyone makes it down in one piece. Now the lists being passed show who's going to be in what group. So everyone; start making nice with each other.'

She then nodded to Inspector Myles, who walked towards the front of the group.

'Thank you, Meg,' he said, then looked up the group. 'The reason we are all here is because of the events of seven years ago. Three months ago a group of hikers found human remains near a crevasse about eight miles from here. It was confirmed through DNA that the remains were of one of the victims of the cannibals – one Mary Walford, 28, missing and presumed dead from 2007. That is the crevasse that Bravo team will go down. Alpha, lead by Meg, will go down another crevasse that we believe may be connected to the crevasse the discovery was made at. The two caves that Charlie and Delta teams are going to investigate have shown signs of machinery going in and out of them. After an initial investigation, it was determined that remains there were interred at these locations using farming equipment. Charlie and Delta Teams: you are going in with forensic teams who will begin the process of removing any more remains. You will proceed into the caves to determine if they are connected to the two crevasses and in turn, to determine if there are more remains further in.' He then took a drink of his tea before he continued. 'Everyone will be on long range head and handsets supplied to you by Torchwood and UNIT. Captain Harkness?'

Jack stood up from his seat. 'Hello, Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood. The equipment should be here later this evening and calibrated and ready to go by your launch time. We'll be monitoring all the climbs from our equipment that we will set up at your base camp and I'll be going down with Alpha Team. We did an initial survey of the crevasse and found an incredibly large stone formation that is not indigenous to the area and really has no business being there.' He sat down after that and Myles took over again.

'So – I guess that's it. Those of you staying here – have a good evening, anyone that needed to bunk at the Constabulary office; I believe the van has arrived. So if you'll get your gear, we'll be off.' He then walked over to Meg and Ifan, laughing with them after a few minutes. They then all made their way over to the Torchwood group.

'So, have a good night, Gav,' Meg was saying. 'Be careful in that cave, okay? Wasn't thrilled when I went in there two weeks ago. Way too much water damage to the mouth and ceiling. Rock falls are a normal occurrence in that thing, so hard hat gear for everyone.'

Gavin then pulled Meg into his arms and kissed her on her lips. 'Yes, Mam,' he said condescendingly. Meg then turned to Ifan smiling.

'Your friends,' she said, pulling Gavin's arms off her waist.

Ifan smiled, then cuffed Gavin playfully. 'Leave off, she's taken.'

'Yeah, to my eternal shame,' he said laughingly. 'Back here at 6 then?'

'Yeah, we'll have Johnny cakes, flap jacks and waffles. I've even started a few tubs of spaghetti and pulled out a few jars of peanut butter. Anything super high carbs; you know the drill,' Meg answered.

'No worries then,' Gavin said. He then turned to Jack and the others. 'Thank you for participation, Captain Harkness. It's a relief to know there will be some here that have experience dealing with…well, the weird.'

Jack smiled at that as he gave his hand to Gavin. 'Glad to help.' He then introduced Gwen and Martha to Gavin, who took their hands gratefully.

'Well, off to bed. Long day tomorrow,' Gavin said by way of good-bye and walked to the exit. Meg went out with him as Gwen, Martha and Ifan began looking at the maps and pictures more closely.

'This is too weird,' Martha said suddenly, studying the rock formation more closely. 'I'm going to send these to Devereaux. UNIT still has that database of space ships. The top of it is too perfect…too -.'

'Pointy,' Jack said, looking at the pictures. 'That would explain a few things.'

'Like the fact that the four openings being investigated tomorrow are all at perfect points of the compass,' Ifan said, looking up at Jack. Jack swallowed thickly, then turned his head away. _Ianto_, his mind whispered.

'What do you mean?' Gwen asked.

Ifan pulled out another map that had the four sites circled. 'I checked the locations of these with precision equipment. The two caves are at the perfect North and South of the compass. The crevasses are at perfect East and West. Most things we use for compass measurements are off by several degrees. These are not – and by the carbon dating of them, they are several centuries old – not millennia, as they should be for their depth.' Ifan then looked up as Meg entered the room. 'If I were a betting man, I'd say these weren't made by nature.'

Meg stopped short of the table. 'Oh-oh. He's gone all Fox 'Spooky' Mulder on me again,' Meg said teasingly. 'I guess I'll have to put on my red wig again and-.'

'Stop it right there, woman,' Ifan said, shaking a finger at her as he backed away from the table. 'Not in front of the alien catching visitors, eh?' Jack, Gwen and Martha were in giggles. Jack then looked at Meg appreciatively.

'Again?' he asked. Gwen and Martha broke out in full blown laughter as Ifan turned brick red. Jack looked to him and his laughter calmed down. _Ianto would be just as embarrassed_, he thought.

'Things need to cleared away here…you keep yourself occupied,' Ifan said to Meg, pointing around the game room. A few of the other guests came down for a game of darts and Ambrose was still at the bar, pouring a few for other guests.

Meg shrugged her shoulders as went to pass Ifan to get the rubbish bin, he took hold of her and kissed her on her forehead. He then leaned over and whispered 'Later,' into her ear. She looked back to him and smiled warmly as she trotted off to do her work. Ifan, still smiling, looked back to the Torchwood crew, Jack Harkness in particular. 'I guess we'll leave this until morning. If you want you can set up some of your calibration equipment here – everyone will be tucked in by nine tonight. When are the radios supposed to be here?'

'They're already here. They're not just headsets, they give us video feeds. They also are calibrated to receive readings from the wearer, such as heart rate, oxygen levels, brain wave activity, the works,' Martha answered. Ifan simply stared.

'So why the deception?' he asked.

'Didn't want too many people knowing how advanced the little buggers really are,' Jack answered.

After a moment, Ifan nodded. 'I understand.' He then looked up to the Captain. 'Can I have a word with you? Ah…in private? We can go to the kitchen.'

Jack thought about it for a moment, then nodded slowly. _Here it comes_, he said to himself as he followed Ifan to the kitchen, leaving the ladies in the game room. Ambrose and Meg gave him minute nods as they made sure they stayed away.

Ifan turned to Jack the second they were in the kitchen and Jack bumped into him, his hands flying out and grabbing hold of Ifan's arms so as to stop him from falling. Jack, standing so close, took in his scent and stared into his eyes – and realized as he stared into those perfect blue orbs…_This is NOT Ianto!_

In Ianto's eyes, there was always a shadow of pain, of longing…of wanting someone to see him for the wonderful person he was. The scent of this one was different as well. This was the scent of everything green, of…oneness with being out in the middle of nowhere. Of books and drink, of aftershave and cologne. And these eyes were different…oh, so different. They weren't filled with longing. They weren't looking for anything…they knew their place in this world. And it was by the side of the woman in the other room.

'Sorry about that,' Ifan said, taking Jack's hands off of his arms. 'I'm not the one you lost – and I am sorry I look so much like him.'

Jack waved away his apology. 'No, I'm the one that needs to apologize. You look a lot like Ianto, but you are not him. I see that now. I am sorry if I've you feel uncomfortable or if I've made trouble between you and Meg.' Ifan started at that, but again Jack stilled him with a touch of his hand. 'She didn't say; I…ah, I saw the thing between you two in the kitchen this morning. Sorry about that.'

Ifan sagged against the stove/grill and looked up into the Captain's eyes. 'Thank you,' he said softly as he looked up into Jack's eyes. 'This is going to hurt you for a long time, Captain. But I don't think your guy would have wanted you to wallow in self-pity for the rest of your life. Meg and I go through this all the time, being as how she's older than me. She always thinks she's gonna cop it first. She tells me to try to remember the good times. I tell her I'll never forget…to me she's just too special to forget.' He then looked up to Jack again. 'Your eyes…they're too old for your face. This isn't the first time you've been hurt…but this was the deepest cut, yeah?'

Jack simply nodded, bowing his head suddenly. He didn't want this stranger wearing a former lover's face see him cry. Before he could register it, Ifan had moved from the stove and engulfed Jack in a hug.

'You don't have to stop grieving, Captain. I know I still cry for my parents,' Ifan said softly as he continued to hold Jack. 'But one day you will stop – and you won't feel guilty about it. And if you listen carefully, you'll almost hear them breathe a sigh of relief. Because your loved ones may be dead, but even they get tired of being the cause of so many tears. That will be the day you'll see the happy memories.'

How long he stayed in Ifan's embrace he couldn't say, but when he finally let go of the young man, he could almost see Ianto smiling at him. _Miss you_, he said to the image in his mind. _Love you…so much_. Ifan handed Jack a handkerchief and smiled softly. 'I'm off to bed,' he said. 'I have a hot woman that promised to masquerade as Agent Scully for me upstairs – so I guess it's time to make an X-file of myself,' he said, smiling as he patted Jack on his shoulder and walked towards the exit.

'Ifan,' Jack called. Ifan stopped and turned to him. 'Thank you…for understanding.'

Ifan simply nodded and walked out of the kitchen.

~~TWTWTW~~

Just as Ifan had predicted the day before, the day of the climb was unseasonably cold. Everyone was grateful for thermal underwear – good thermal underwear. Breakfasts were dispensed, coffee carafes filled and hot chocolates consumed as everyone got ready to go out to Base Camp and were debriefed by 6:45am. Headsets were distributed and groups were assembled. Ifan was Alpha Team's back-up, along with Martha and Gwen. He gave the signal for the six wenches to begin their descent. Digital thermometers registered the temperatures at five degrees below freezing when they reached bottom.

'Okay,' Meg said over the comm. 'We're down. Everyone – follow severe weather protocols. Let's get what they want – pics, put down sensors and let's get the hell out of Dodge.' She looked up at the rock formation that piqued her interest the day before. 'Captain,' she called out. He walked over to her and also looked at the structure.

'Ifan's theory suddenly doesn't look so X-File-ish. Does it?' she asked as she pointed to a sequence of script written in a language she'd never seen. As they were going to take another step closer, Meg grabbed at Jack's arm and stopped him. At his feet, buried in the ground underneath the formation, a skeletal hand poked out of the earth.

'I don't know where we are,' Meg breathed out quietly. 'But it sure as Hell ain't Wonderland.'

_AN: Grief kids! Sorry, but this story kind of got away from me. I wanted to put this chapter up so bad, I've decided to leave the rest of their discoveries for another chapter. You guys have so rocked!!! Thank you for reading my other stories…you have so humbled me. And you readers in the UK! Man – you've beaten American readers of my stuff by 69 - honest! 795 to 726! Even got a few from serious far flung places – Czech Revar? Where's that? Thank you – you SO ROCK!!_

_So – next chapter: Meg, Jack and the others find more then bargained for – and Meg and Ifan's lives take an interesting turn as Jack learns to live…again._


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: Thanks again to everyone that has been reading this little story. Sorry I've left you guys hanging for so long. RL, School and my trip to the UK left me no time to write – especially when the power supply to my laptop got fried. SO, without further ado – RTD owns everything dealing with TW & DW – I only __borrow__ the characters. The OC's however – all MINE!!!! _

_~o0o~_

_Meg grabbed at Jack's arm and stopped him. At his feet, buried underneath the formation, a skeletal hand poked out of the earth. 'I don't know where we are,' Meg breathed out quietly. 'But it sure as Hell ain't Wonderland.'_

**Torchwood: Doppelgangers**

**Chapter Four: Sometimes Monsters **_**Do **_**Live in Dark Places**

Meg bent down and examined the hand carefully, then pulled a camel hair brush from her rucksack and began brushing the compacted dirt away slowly as she adjusted her head camera and light.

'Oh…Dear God,' she breathed after a few minutes. Jack quickly rushed over as he heard the gasps of everyone above watching the video feed. 'Charlie Team,' she said grimly as she stood up, looking down at the petrified face staring up at her. 'Gavin?' You got your ears on? Come on back.'

'What've you got, Meg?' he asked, his voice crackled on the headsets.

'We've found remains…but they are older, _way older_,' Meg answered. 'Jack?' said, holding up the dirt to his face. 'Take a whiff, but not too deep. This could have microbes that could really mess with your ability to breathe.'

_Ianto_, he thought suddenly; the image of Ianto gasping his last breaths rising into his mind almost paralyzing him for a split second. He got it under control and turned back to the task at hand.

'What does this smell like?' Meg asked him. Jack did as she asked – then nodded to her.

'It…it smells like peat,' he answered softly. 'Old peat.'

'And that means?' Gavin asked.

'That we may have Bog People down there,' Ifan's voice said over the comms.

'That's my smart man,' Meg said, beaming. She then frowned, looking at the site. 'But how? I mean…this area wasn't known for its mires, was it?' She stared back at the rock formation. 'What if….what if _this_ caused it?'

'What do you mean?' Jack asked.

'The people known as Bog People were all murdered. Blows to the head, massive cranial damage…not pretty deaths in the least. And yet, no looks of pain, shock or surprise. A few academics have surmised the victims were drugged and that they…were sacrificed,' Ifan answered evenly.

'So…if that rock formation fell from the sky eight hundred years or more ago, the Neolithic people living here would have believed that they angered the gods somehow,' Meg began.

'And then decided human sacrifice would fix things for them?' Gavin asked.

'Wouldn't be the first time humans got it wrong,' Jack answered wryly.

'Could be what started up the locals into eating other people,' Meg said slowly.

'Their leader said it was something they did every ten years,' Jack offered, remembering the "talk" he and Gwen had with the man in the pub seven years before. 'First things first. Gavin, we're going to need a forensic team in here as well. And Gwen?'

'Yeah, Jack?'

'Call in the others. Lois stays behind to babysit UNIT. I'll take care of everything else.'

'Okay,' Gwen answered.

Meg bent down over the partially uncovered body and with her brush, swept more earth away. She stopped as soon as she uncovered the clothing. 'Jack,' she called softly. Instantly he was at her side, not liking the sound of her voice. Following her line of sight, he looked down. 'What the hell is that?' she breathed.

Jack simply shook his head as the clothing covering the corpse appeared to be a spacesuit. The same indecipherable writing on the side of the formation was on a cloth tag woven on the suit the body wore. He then looked up at the formation.

'It's a ship, isn't it?' she asked evenly. Jack nodded. 'And this,' she said, pointing down. 'Is one of the crew?' Again, he nodded. 'But what the hell was he doing out here? And the rock covering the ship? Wait…wait, wait!' She then looked up at Jack – and he noticed a literal flash within her light brown eyes. '_Something else_ did this to the ship!' she said, pointing to the rock encasing the ship.

'They were too heavy,' Jack murmured.

'They couldn't achieve maximum velocity to escape our atmosphere,' Ifan said, looking at the monitors Martha and Gwen were studying back in the tent. 'You're right, Captain. They were too heavy…they fell back to Earth, back into their hastily made launch pad. The crevasses and caves…they were blow back tunnels…for the exhaust of the engines. Perfect points of the compass.'

Jack nodded, fully understanding. 'They were going to use the smoke signatures at the exact points of the compass to orient themselves for flight out of Earth's atmosphere.' He then looked to the rock formation. 'And then…this stuff either suddenly grew on it, or got lobbed at it from space.'

'I'm gonna go with Door Number Two, Monty,' Meg answered. 'Alpha Team,' she called over the comms. 'Sound off.' Four voices responded. 'Guys, double time it back here, we're bugging out.' She then turned to Jack. 'Hate using an over said movie line here, but I got a bad feeling about this. This is so beyond what any of us know – correction – any of us _plain folk_. I'm not risking anyone down here, you included, Captain. When your full crew gets here, when you call the Royal Marines in with UNIT, good luck to ya. 'Cause me, Ifan and Ambrose are going to be at least fifty clicks away from this mess. Gavin?' she called out.

'I heard you, Meg. And I concur. We'll keep going on these sites. These have to do with our people eaters. If you're giving jurisdiction for that location to Torchwood, I leave it to your discretion.'

Meg let go the breath she didn't know she was holding. 'Thanks,' she said as the four climbers returned and began strapping themselves into their harnesses and began their ascents.

As she began harnessing herself up, Jack took a sample bottle and small rock hammer from Meg's rucksack and looked back at her. 'After seeing "The Shawshank Redemption", I've never looked at these things quite the same,' he said, holding up the hammer. Meg chuckled. 'So,' he said, motioning to the formation. 'You think it's safe?'

'Dude,' she said, readying Jack's harness. 'Last time I checked, you were the resident alien expert here.' Jack laughed out loud then, remembering Gwen's first day. _'The Alien Sex Gas Creature Incident', Ianto called it_, he thought. 'Gwen – you want to answer that?'

She harrumphed over the comms. 'Just chip _delicately_ on the outside of it,' came the terse reply. Meg looked to Jack's apoplectic face.

'Do I want to know?' she asked. Jack nodded his head and simply mouthed 'later'. He then raised the hammer to the formation's edge and hit it lightly. A few pieces fell into the sample bottle obediently – then a twelve hundred foot sheath slid down off the side of the formation; exposing the ship's fuselage. Jack jumped out of the way towards Meg, tucking her down under his body protecting her from the falling debris as he pressed them into the opposite rockface.

All Meg felt was the pressure of the rock slide and Jack's body against hers; it was as if someone had turned off all the sound in the crevasse and all that was left was the roar of shifting stones and earth. _Ifan!_ was all she thought as she tried to make herself as small as possible.

'MEG!' Ifan screamed over the comms as the earth shook under their feet and a massive dust plume shot up the crevasse towards his location. He was already in his emergency climb harness and quickly hooking it up to another winch line. He began yelling the names of the others, who were just appearing at the mouth of the crevasse, coughing the dust could dissipated around them. He, with Gwen and Martha's help, began hauling the four over the edge and away from the drop so as to clear the area. 'MEG!' he screamed again. 'Miriam Estrella Gabriel, if you do not answer by the time I am finished this sentence, I am coming-.'

'Ifan,' she answered out of breath. She then coughed loudly. 'We had a monster rock fall, but Jack and I are okay here. Everyone get up okay? This wasn't the only collapse, though.' She began coughing again. 'Ifan,' she wheezed. 'Vibrations. Look to the North and South for dust plumes. Check North – that was where Gavin's group was. That cave really wasn't safe,' Meg continued.

Martha's voice broke over the comms. 'I have video for Gavin's location. There was a collapse. I am also picking up life signs, but there are some injuries. I'm coordinating with Rescue Services now.'

'How about Gavin? Gavin! Can you hear me? Are his life signs reading okay, Martha? Oh, please be okay. His mom would never forgive me,' Meg said worriedly.

A cough sounded over the comms. 'We're all here, Meg,' Gavin's voice answered. 'A few nasty ones, though. How long until Emergency Services get to us?' he asked.

'Two minutes,' Martha answered as the wail of ambulances could be heard in the distance. 'Maybe less,' she continued. Gavin breathed a sigh of relief.

'Oh, Meg? Keep my Mam out of this.' Meg then turned to Jack, relief evident on her face.

Jack looked thoughtfully at the now fully exposed ship. Meg sidled up next to him and stared at the ship in wonder.

'Does it look familiar?' she asked Jack. The immortal smirked.

'Not really. Still don't recognize the hieroglyphs,' Jack mused aloud. _Ianto would have known_, he thought suddenly. _Ianto_… 'Martha?'

'Yes Jack?'

'Did Devereaux send you that UNIT list of ships?'

'Yes,' she answered. 'Got it in an email this morning.'

'Good,' he said, looking at the ship more closely. 'Take pics from my feed and get the computers to Pos ID this ship and its writing.' He then looked to Meg. 'Ready to go up?' he asked cheekily.

Meg returned an equally cheeky grin. 'And we were having so much fun down here,' she said mock pouting.

'I'm on my way down, Meg. ETA twenty minutes,' Ifan's voice said on the comms.

'We're strapped in,' Meg answered. 'We'll meet you halfway. If you can have someone start up our lizard lines?' The engine winches began to pull them up and away from the wreckage of the ship towards the opening above. After a few moments of silence, Meg looked up and saw the familiar shape of her favorite Welshman coming down towards them. 'Worry wart,' she mumbled over the comm.

'Thanks to you, I'll look older than my age soon enough,' Ifan answered drily.

'Want me to prove you're still alive and kicking later?' she asked, her voice dropping just a tad. Ifan groaned over the comm. Jack smiled, remembering his own playful banter time and again with Ianto.

'So do not need to hear this over an open channel,' Gavin's voice said over the comms. Meg and Ifan laughed.

'He's just jealous,' Ifan said as he stopped his winch with a handheld controller and began his ascent with Jack and Meg. He grabbed onto Meg, and, making sure their lines didn't tangle, looked her over. Apart from a few bruises and dirt, she looked okay. He then turned to look at Jack, noticing he was absolutely filthy. His and Jack's eyes met and he bowed his head to the other man in silent thanks as they made their way topside.

~~TWTWTW~~

Below the ship, now exposed to the open air after millennia of being cocooned, began to softly glow.

~~TWTWTW~~

'Rewind it again?' Meg asked, pointing to a particular video feed of Gavin's cave in. Gwen did as she asked. Operations had been shut down hours before and everyone was reviewing the videos at The Inn. Ambrose had supplied everyone with drinks and food while Jack, Meg and Ifan cleaned up after their eventful day.

Gavin returned after cleaning up at the station and receiving word of the wounded. Of the five climbers and eight forensic collectors, seven were injured. Broken bones and crushed vertebrae was the worst. Two, however, were in a coma and one looked like she wouldn't survive the night.

Jack had already made arrangements with Martha to visit the hospital with a few pieces of alien tech that he knew would help. The trick was getting her in; but once she flashed her Torchwood ID, she explained later it was like Moses parting The Red Sea.

'And there was no warning?' Gavin asked Meg and Jack for a fourth time. She was about to answer when Ifan put a steadying hand on her thigh and looked to Gavin.

'Gav,' he said evenly. 'You heard Meg on the comm. She called everyone up and out before anything happened. Captain Harkness tapped the thing with a damn rock hammer, for Christ's Sake! No one saw this coming – we thought it was just at our location until Meg told us to look for dust plumes. If anything, the spelunkers with you kept commenting on how bad the condition of the cave ceiling was.'

Gavin nodded as he ran a bruised hand through his hair and heaved a great sigh. Meg looked up from the screens and, with a nod to Gwen, had the video paused. She then retrieved a first-aid kit and motioned to Gavin to sit in front of her. For a second it appeared as if he was going to fight her, but in the end he dragged his chair over and Meg began to silently check him over for injuries. Once she was satisfied he was just bruised and dirty, she began binding his hand and cleaning a particular nasty gash on his cheek. Jack started as he watched Meg clean it out and apply antibiotic…

_Ianto_, he thought. And this time, he let this precious memory take him away…

_They were in the Hub2, Rhys was cooking beans for tea and Jack hauled Ianto away to an abandoned room so they could both change and he could tend to Ianto's face. It led to more pleasurable explorations… They both needed to let the other know that they were well and alive. Ianto needed to know Jack was okay after being buried alive in cement. Jack needed the affirmation that Ianto survived the explosion of the Hub. And yet…less then twenty-four hours later…Ianto was dead…gone._

Jack turned away suddenly, shaking himself out of the memory. Martha, Gwen and Gavin all missed the look on his face, but Ambrose, Ifan and Meg all hissed in pain suddenly. Jack would have missed their reaction had it not been for Gavin's sudden yelp; Meg put too much antiseptic on the cotton swab she was using to clean out his wound.

After she had patched him up and tucked away the med kit, Gavin ran his now bandaged hand through his hair and sighed deeply. 'How did this get so…?' he asked, looking to the others to complete his sentence. Meg, Ifan and Ambrose all looked to each other and smiled grimly.

'FUBAR?' they offered. Jack laughed out loud while Gavin shook his head and Gwen and Martha simply smiled. Gwen then nodded in agreement.

'Definitely FUBAR,' she said softly.

'Oh!' Meg breathed suddenly. 'Gwen? The video. Rewind it to one minute before the North Cave collapse.' She then turned to the others. 'You're all gonna want to see this.' Everyone gathered around the monitor and watched as a flash of light precipitated the collapse.

'What the hell was that?' Ifan asked, his hand slipping to Meg's thigh and giving it a squeeze. She put her hand over it.

'I don't know,' she answered softly. Ifan then turned to Gavin.

'Gav,' he began. 'You were in the cave. Didn't you see the flash?'

'No,' Gavin said, looking at his hands. 'We were all looking down at the earth. I remember it looking like it got bright for a split second…and then the ceiling was on top of us.'

Jack studied the images intently. 'It almost looks like a gunpowder flash,' he said after a few minutes.

'More like sulfur. Only a mineral like phosphorous would be able to ignite after being trapped in rock for a few centuries,' Meg offered.

'But what gunpowder do you know of that still ignites after being exposed to water? The North Cave's main problem was weakening due to water seepage,' Gavin asked. He then held his hand up. 'I mean gunpowder of this planet,' he said, clarifying himself.

Everyone smirked at that.

'It wasn't of this planet,' Ambrose said suddenly. 'But the catalyst was.'

'Another element added later?' Jack asked. Ambrose, Ifan and Meg all nodded their heads.

'That ship isn't from Earth. But maybe the humans here were trying to help their space friends to get back home,' Meg began.

'And something stopped them,' Jack finished. 'Yeah, we already came up with that. So what was the big thing with the collapse?'

Ambrose, Ifan and Meg shifted in their seats. 'What if it…' Ifan began, then stopped and turned to Martha. 'Were there collapses in all of the tunnels?'

'Yes,' Martha answered. 'The North Cave was the worst because everyone was still inside. They were wrapped up at the others and only experienced minor damage.'

'Fuel,' Meg said suddenly. Jack, Ifan and Ambrose looked to her and nodded in understanding.

'For what?' Gavin asked.

'Their marks on the compass,' Meg answered. 'They needed big plumes of rock and smoke to see these points of the compass from space to orient themselves from our orbit to a trajectory that would get them back to space. These blow back tunnels are lined with this…catalyst.'

'But,' Ambrose began. 'How long have these things been around? Are they still alive? You found that one outside of the ship, Meg. How do we know…anything?'

'But you three know enough,' Jack said softly.

Ifan immediately looked to Jack, his hackles raised. He didn't like the glances the strange American had been throwing at all three of them since their return to the inn. They may have all come to an understanding of sorts – but the stranger wasn't _family_. He was different; something dangerous.

'How long have you three been agreeing on things without even thinking about it?' Jack asked.

Ambrose, Ifan and Meg simply stared at the Captain.

'We,' began Ambrose. 'We've had our disagreements, but we've always found ways of working together. Out here you really don't have much of a choice. This place for the most part is Ifan's and Meg's baby; I'm just here because of the added excitement - .'

'He's here to watch over me with Meg,' Ifan said, cutting his brother off. 'I was a mess when this happened back in '07. Thank God your lot had already left by the time we showed up – or else I really would have gone round the bend after seeing your Ianto,' he continued. 'Meg had a hard time dealing with me…dealing with all of it. They were afraid I'd have another relapse.'

'I was worried,' Meg said suddenly, taking Ifan's hand in hers. 'I had to deal with the memorial services, your parents' final wishes, their finances, solicitors, the media and then you were there and yet not. I…I wasn't strong enough to help you the first time. I was afraid I would be strong enough to deal with you if…anything went wrong this time.'

'What happened before?' Martha asked yet feeling she already knew the answer.

'I tried to commit suicide,' Ifan said softly, grasping Meg's hand around his. He then turned to Meg. 'That was then, Meg. This is now. I…I would never try anything like that now. I have this place, this life…and most of all, you,' he said softly.

Meg leaned over and kissed Ifan tenderly on his lips. She then turned to Jack. 'This weirdness is kind of a normal thing for me. But I know what you mean. We've been anticipating each other's moods for some time now. I thought it was just that weird 3rd sense you develop when you're in close quarters with people. But…well, these boys – men – and their extended family - mean a great deal to me.'

Ambrose and Ifan nodded in agreement. 'Thought it was just me,' Ifan mumbled.

'Same here,' Ambrose answered.

Gwen then turned to Jack from her laptop. 'So what? You think they're being influenced by the ship?'

'Maybe,' Jack answered softly after a few moments. 'Do we still have live feed from the crevasse containing the ship?'

Gwen concentrated on her laptop and after hitting a few keys brought up a picture of the ship. The ship's hull was glowing brightly.

'Good grief! We didn't put light that good down there,' Meg mused.

'No,' agreed Jack. 'That's the ship.'

'Back up power, maybe?' Ifan asked. 'But the crew…are they…'

At that instant Ifan, Ambrose and Meg rose from their chairs as one, glowing as brightly as the ship with their bodies stiff and their eyes closed. Jack, Martha, Gwen and Gavin pushed themselves away from the three.

'**CONTACT,'** Ifan said.

'**CONTACT HAS,' **Ambrose and Ifan both said.

'**CONTACT…HAS…BEEN… MADE,'** Meg, Ifan and Ambrose said in unison. They then opened their eyes – and they were glowing as brightly as their bodies.

'What the fuck?' Gavin swore vehemently as he reached out to his friends. Jack batted his hand away from the three.

'Don't touch them,' Jack said in a commanding tone. He then turned to the three. 'My name is Captain Jack Harkness and I am Director of Torchwood. Who are you? Can you identify yourselves?'

The three people engulfed in the bright light turned to Jack as one.

'**WE,'** they began. **'WE…ARE…THE CHAMELOID. WE…WE KNOW…THESE VESSELS. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HARMED…CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS. WE HAVE TAKEN THEM…OVER. WE…NEEDED TO …SPEAK. THERE IS…NOT MUCH TIME. WE…APOLOGIZE.'**

Jack stared at the light – _lifeforce?_ – engulfing his…friends in fear. '_Why does this feel familiar?'_ Jack asked himself. Suddenly he was flashed into _that_ room with the tank…_456_. He shook his head violently. Now was NOT the time…

'What do you need?' he asked. Why is time a factor?'

'**WE…WE NEED OUR OWN BODIES. WE…WE NEED TO CONTINUE. OUR…ENEMIES HAVE…MADE PLANETFALL…WHILE WE WERE INCAPATICATED.'** The three then slumped slightly.

'Jack?' Meg's voice asked, coming through.

'Meg! Are you and Ifan and Ambrose okay?' he asked, aching to grab her and Ifan and protect them.

'We're okay for now,' came the reply. 'But the sooner the hitch-hikers are gone, the better. The ship is theirs. They've been trapped for a very long time – almost a thousand years. They…I don't understand,' she said suddenly, as if she were having another conversation while trying to relay information to the others. 'They…the Chameloid are a race of cloners. Their technology was stolen by a race on the brink of extinction. But the stolen information wasn't complete – and a third race was born…an…amalgamation.'

'**ABOMINATION,'** the three suddenly hissed.

'Yeah, yeah,' Meg groused. 'War broke out – the dying race became aggressive within their new matrix – they were looking to acquire the missing information to complete proper cloning. But it was too late. The original genetic information was damaged beyond reconstruction. This ship was trying to retrieve the stolen information when it was lost near a Time/Spacial Rift – and ended up here. The dying race followed them here – and made sure they could complete their mission. They have visited this planet before. They have killed in order to get…oh…oh! Jesus Christ!'

'Meg?' Jack called out, shaken to his core. He knew this; but he felt like he was walking through candy floss.

'Jack,' Meg called out. 'Jack,' she repeated. 'You've seen them. We all have! This had better feel _damn_ familiar to you,' her voice trailed off.

'**THEY…WERE…**_**HERE**_**!'** the three chimed. **'THEY…WERE…**_**HERE**_**!'**

Jack, Gwen, Martha and Gavin all froze with the sudden recognition.

'**THEY…WERE…**_**HERE**_**!'**

Jack's gut suddenly tightened. He had to stop his gag reflex. They all had seen this before…

'**THEY…WERE…**_**HERE**_**! THEY…WERE…**_**HERE**_**!'**

When the 456 took over the children.

_A/N: Yeah…I know…where the hell is she going with this?! Well, this idea popped into my notebook while I was pondering the conundrum that my story had become – and decided…what the hell? It's not a COE Fix-It. But like with _Archangel_ and _Death's Memoirs_, I think dancing kind of close to the edge makes for a fresh story…and a quickening of a pulse._

_Next chapter: The Chameloid need help to get back into space – and they make offers Meg, Ifan and Jack can't refuse…._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Sorry this taken so long….a bit of writer's block – and after having to say good-bye to Death's Memoirs, I've been a bit down. So…onwards to Chapter 5 – and so, without further ado, RTD owns everything dealing with TW & DW – I only __borrow__ the characters. The OC's however – all MINE!!!! _

**Torchwood: Doppelgangers**

**Chapter 5: Do Not Ignore Bottles That Say 'Drink Me', Cakes That Say 'Eat Me' and White Rabbits In Waistcoats**

'_**THEY…WERE…HERE!'**__ the three chimed. __**'THEY…WERE…HERE!'**_

_Jack, Gwen, Martha and Gavin all froze with the sudden recognition._

'_**THEY…WERE…HERE!'**_

_Jack's gut suddenly tightened. He had to stop his gag reflex. They all had seen this before…_

'_**THEY…WERE…HERE! THEY…WERE…HERE!'**_

_When the 456 took over the children._

~~o0o~~

The chanting suddenly stopped and the glow vanished as the three fell from their standing positions to the floor. Gavin caught Meg as he was closest to her.

Martha was on them in an instant, Berakan scanner out and checking their vitals. Jack picked Ifan up from the floor and rested his head in his lap. Meg's eyes suddenly flew open and, turning from Gavin, she reached out to Ifan.

'He's okay,' Jack said softly. 'He's just unconscious.'

'I…know,' Meg gasped out. 'Have…to touch them.' She then caught Ifan's hand and his eyes flew open as he gasped loudly. She then reached out for Ambrose and the same happened to him once she touched his hand.

'How…how did you do that?' Jack asked slightly shaken. Their gasping breaths reminded him too much of how he used to draw in a resurrection breath before the 456 killed him. After that…he hardly made a sound when he came back.

'They told me,' she said softly gripping Ifan's hand. He squeezed hers in return.

'How were you able to talk to us?' Jack asked.

'Training,' Meg replied evasively, her eyes flicking back to Gavin. Jack understood: Ambrose and Ifan knew of her past, but Gavin did not.

It was then that Ifan sat up and turned to Jack. 'Thanks,' her muttered, hand going up to his head. 'I think.'

'You'd already hit the floor,' Jack explained. 'Sorry.'

Ifan nodded, then took Meg into his arms from Gavin. The three of them then turned to Ambrose, who was being helped into a chair by Gwen and Martha.

'Why just us?' Ifan asked.

'We've been here the longest. We're pretty much the only ones left in the village,' Meg answered, then looked at Ifan closely. 'You okay, E?' she asked, putting a hand up to his cheek. He nodded his head distractedly.

'They agreed with several of my theories,' he said after a moment. 'And they solved two of my Unsolvables.'

Meg gasped and gripped his hand. 'And the third?'

'I'll get it soon enough,' Ifan answered, kissing her cheek softly in return.

'And for those of us not in the loop?' Jack asked, a little bewildered.

'Ifan's Doctoral Thesis was based on several theories, but its application hinged on three equations. Einstein proved them – but only in theory,' Meg began.

'But the Chameloid have _working proof_ of two of my Unsolvable equations,' Ifan continued. 'And the third…they said I could solve myself. They said it would be some time before humans can put my theories to working practice,' he then looked to Meg and smiled. 'But it will happen, one day.'

'What? Like warp drives and stuff like that?' Ambrose asked, a small chuckle escaping him.

'Yes,' Meg said, looking into Ifan's eyes. 'And portable vortex manipulators, time locks, Time Agencies,' she let her voice trail off as she looked over Ifan's shoulder to Jack's face. 'Any of this sound familiar, Captain?'

'Like somewhere around the fifty-first century?' Ifan continued, turning around to look at the Captain.

'Ifan Jeffries,' Jack murmured. 'I thought I knew that name.' He then looked to Ifan and Meg. 'They…the Chameloid. They travelled in time?'

Ifan nodded. 'Their ship's proton drive does have a temporal drive attached. They just followed the signal to its source. On whatever planet, in whatever time. If it needed to be destroyed…they were going to kill it.'

Ifan then turned back to Meg and hugged her to his chest, a smile on his face as he held her head between his two hands.

'Only if you want to, Ifan,' she whispered softly.

'I do,' he answered just as softly. She closed her eyes then and, with his help, they both stood up from the floor.

'Okay,' she breathed out, putting her head on his shoulder. She then looked to Jack. 'We have to help them,' she began, answering the questioning look on Jack's face. 'The 456 are not dead. They are still out there…waiting.'

'For what?!' Jack asked, suddenly enraged. _They took Ianto; they took Steven! What else could they take…could they kill?_

'Everything, Jack,' Meg answered. 'They still want the children. They could kill everything on this planet to get them. They are afraid because they know we know how to get at them. The Chameloid feel responsible; it was their technology that created those things. They…they grafted themselves into one another. When they had the genetic code completed and attempted to take themselves apart…they couldn't. They had been like that for too long. They had begun to breed…but the offspring died off within months. The entire endeavor was a complete failure. The Chameloid were hunting them – still are. But this ship is the only one that can complete the journey – that can hunt The Abomination through time and space – and obliterate them.'

'Why?' asked Martha.

'Because they should never have existed,' Ambrose said from behind everyone. 'They are Frankenstein's Monster on crack! Only the crack is **our** children! They'll be back…they haven't found another substitute.'

Jack stood silent absorbing all that was being said. Gwen studied his face for any sign of what he was thinking. She knew he still hurt, God! Everyone present except for Gavin knew how much he still yearned for Ianto. What lengths would he have gone to, to save his Ianto? Or his grandson and by proxy, his daughter? She thought of her own son safe at home with Rhys. He was five now – and how not so subconsciously she had kept Jack and Edward Ianto apart.

'Fuck it,' Jack growled, turning to Gwen and Martha. 'Get UNIT on the horn. Tell them I want a battalion here with winches and heavy moving equipment. We're pulling that ship out of that hole -.'

'**NO**,' Ifan, Ambrose and Meg said as one. The Chameloid were speaking through them again, only this time the three did not glow as before. '**THE SHIP… MUST REMAIN WHERE … IT IS**.'

'Why?' Jack asked. 'Wouldn't it be easier to launch above ground?'

'**WE HAVE TRANSMAT CAPABILITIES. TO PULL THE SHIP OUT OF THE GROUND WOULD CAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE**,' the three said.

Jack smirked at that, though there was no warmth on his face. 'Ecologically minded aliens,' he said softly. 'Now you know you're dealing with the good guys.' He then dropped his smirk. 'What other help do you need? The 456 cost this planet much – and me personally more than you can imagine. I…I want to repay them in kind.' Gwen put her hand on Jack's arm then. His whole body was trembling as Martha put her hand on his other arm.

'For Ianto,' Jack said, his voice breaking slightly. He then cleared his throat and continued. 'For Steven. For Alice and everyone else that died or suffered for no damn reason because of the 456.'

'**AGREED**,' the Chameloid answered through Ifan, Meg and Ambrose. When they left them this time though, the three remained standing. They nodded to the others.

'Let's get this party started,' Meg murmured.

~~TWTWTW~~

The next day UNIT Commander Elspeth Courtney was standing outside of a command tent with Mickey Smith and Jackson Devereaux awaiting the rest of Torchwood. Next to the crevasse an entire battalion of soldiers were erecting another tent and manning heavy duty winches and lifting equipment. Mickey and Devereaux looked up when they heard the engine of the SUV roaring down the road towards them. A Range Rover bus was tearing down the same road right behind it.

'What the hell?' Mickey asked. Devereaux simply shook his head. 'New friends?' Mickey continued. 'Whoever is driving the bus is as mad a driver as Jack.'

The SUV and bus stopped side by side within feet of the UNIT commander. Jack, Martha and Gwen hopped out of the SUV while Gavin, Meg, Ambrose and Ifan stepped out of the bus. Mickey and Devereaux both started when he saw Ifan. Neither had met Ianto Jones, but they had heard enough of him from Gwen and Martha and had seen a few pics of him up at Gwen's desk at the Hub.

'Director,' Commander Courtney said, saluting Jack. He immediately returned the salute.

'Status report, Commander,' he said in return.

'All is set and ready for your go, Director. Monitoring equipment has been set up and the mechanical winches are ready for deployment. We await your orders, sir.'

'Ambrose and Ifan Jeffries, Meg Gabriel,' Jack said, introducing Mickey, Devereaux and the Commander to the civilians. 'The aliens down there have established contact with these people. We're gonna keep it that way. These aliens are called Chameloid. Unfortunately, there is no record of them in the Torchwood or UNIT databases so all information now is being collected and recorded in case we come in contact with them again.'

Meg went back into the bus and came back with harnesses from herself, Ifan and Ambrose. 'Have you guys got a bucket or platform to get us down? Or are we doing this the old fashioned way?'

Jack smiled. 'No,' he said, taking the harnesses out of her hands as she was going to hand them to Ifan and Ambrose. 'We have to clear away the rock fall and set the ship back onto its platform.'

'No,' said Ifan, snatching the harnesses back. 'So long as the spacial/temporal drive is operational, they can engage its drive and zap the ship into a geostationary orbit before they leave Earth's orbit.

'Why didn't they do that before?' asked Martha.

'Nothing in space nine hundred years or so ago for them to orient themselves to,' Jack answered. 'Once communications are established with them in space, we can give them coordinates to get them out of our solar system – and hopefully back to their own people.'

'**NO**,' the three answered as one. '**WE MUST CONTINUE THE HUNT. THE ABOMINATION HAVE COST MANY ON THIS PLANET MUCH. FOR SOME, A LOSS OF FACE**.' Their gaze fell on the men and women of UNIT. '**FOR OTHERS, THEIR ENTIRE WORLD**.' They then turned to Jack.

He nodded and cleared his throat gruffly. 'What do you need?' Jack asked, his Captain persona firmly in place.

'**ACCESS TO OUR SHIP**.' Jack nodded and turned to Commander Courtney.

'Get four winches here double quick. We're going down.'

~~TWTWTW~~

The ship's side entry was now visible since the collapse. They all stopped their descent and Ifan punched a code into the keypad panel on the side that slid the door open. He punched in a second code and lighting within the ship blinked on. A motor's hum could be heard as well as felt.

'Artificial gravity and power has been established within the ship,' Ifan said, turning back to the others and smiling.

Jack smiled sadly in return. _Ianto_… he thought. _He always had that look when he solved something that no one else could; when he understood something that no one else did._

They immediately uncoupled their harnesses as they climbed into the airlock. Once the airlock established equal gravity and pressure, they were then able to walk up to the ship's command center at the top.

The three stopped at the door and shuddered as The Chameloid took over.

'What are your names?' Jack asked as Ifan opened the door.

'I am Maiek,' Ifan answered. 'Captain. This is my ship, _The War Bird_.'

'I am Sanshu,' Meg answered. 'Second in command and navigator.'

'I am Kansho,' Ambrose answered. 'Onboard systems and Maintenance.'

'So,' Jack began, smiling. 'Were you the one that came up with the tunnel idea?'

Ambrose returned the smile. 'No…that was Maiek. I came up with the catalyst to give us the plumes of smoke. But now…it is no longer necessary. Your technology has almost caught up with ours…we are proud to say the least.'

'Do you know what happened? Why couldn't you take off the first time?' Jack asked.

'You were correct about a substance corrupting our systems,' Sanshu answered through Meg. 'We were about one hundred feet from the platform when the resin appeared. It was partially sentient – it knew that if we achieved escape velocity the friction and speed would burn it off of our hull, so it made itself heavy and hard enough to make us fall. We were able to make it about another 400 feet before alarms began going off. We attempted to warp jump to space, but the drive had been compromised by the resin. So, the ship fell onto our platform…and we fell into stasis. The indigenous people tried to help by pulling the resin off of the ship – but the organism was quite alive by that point and began fighting back.' She sighed. 'The body you found was the chief of the tribe that helped us. His name was Calen.'

'He was killed by a rival named Man of Shur,' Maiek said through Ifan. 'He believed that to preserve the people of the Earth from the Demons of the Air, every ten years sacrifices had to be made. Towards the end of his life, those sacrifices became human.'

'Jack!' Gwen cried out over the comm unit. 'The leader of the cannibals! His name was Evan Sherman.'

Everyone in the ship's bridge froze. 'So,' said Maiek softly. 'The bastard's seed survived.'

'Don't worry,' Gwen continued over the comm link. 'He won't be getting out of prison to have children anytime soon.'

'So…like the monsters we hunt,' said Sanshu as she sat in the navigator's chair and began running system and diagnostic checks. Kansho sat at his chair and began running diagnostic programs of his own.

'Navigation is up and online. It recorded the landing and exit of The Abomination. We will be able to track their location from these readings. I have sent an automated signal to Control. If we receive a response, we know we have a home to go to. If not,' she left the rest unsaid.

'We continue our mission no matter what,' Maiek answered, completing her sentence. Kansho and Sanshu nodded in agreement.

'Cryo-stasis units are still viable,' Kansho said, looking to the other two and smiling. 'I have begun the reversal process.'

Maiek turned to Jack. 'Come,' he said as he and the others rose from their chairs. 'Meet us properly, Captain.'

Jack smiled as he followed the three to the lower portion of the ship. 'Wait a second,' he said suddenly. 'How did you make it to your stasis units after the jump back?'

Maiek smiled bitterly. 'Painfully,' he said softly. 'Why was it your people did not contact The Shadow Proclamation? They knew of the lawless attitude of The Abomination. We were working quite closely with them; the Judoon were most helpful in our initial tracking of them.'

'We have no way of contacting them,' Jack answered.

'Torchwood may not,' Kansho began, cutting Jack off. 'But UNIT has. The Lord of Time assured us of this.'

Jack was taken aback. 'The Doctor?! You mean The Doctor knew this was going to happen?!'

'No,' Maiek answered. 'There was a possibility simply because you were a populated planet on the periphery of the Proclamation's jurisdiction. The TimeLord knew of our quest and assured us he would devise a way for Earth to call for help. I take it he was not present for this?'

'No,' Jack growled. 'He…never showed.'

'Even if he had made his presence known, it does not mean that events would have been changed,' Sanshu said diplomatically as they stopped in front of another set of doors that Maiek/Ifan needed to open.

'We are here, Captain Harkness,' Maiek said softly. 'When the doors close, communications will be severed with those above. Please let your colleagues know.'

'You heard the man, boys and girls. Be back in a bit,' Jack answered good naturedly.

'We'll be waiting, Jack,' Gwen said as the comm went off-line.

Jack tapped his earpiece off. 'So why did you guys want me off-line?'

'Some in UNIT are still not happy with the shift of power to you, Captain,' Kansho answered. 'Our machinery is important to us – so important, in fact, that the TimeLord suggested we leave it with you.'

Jack's eyebrows rose at that. 'Why?'

'Because these are not just stasis chambers. They are cloning tanks. We knew that this endeavor could take centuries to complete – and our lifetimes are finite. So, we made sure that we would be able to continue the good fight and hunt these creatures down – for however long it would take. These tanks, once fed the proper information concerning the species that is to be cloned, can be used to clone _anything_. If they fell into the wrong hands, the end results could be catastrophic,' Kansho answered. 'You have friends in UNIT – but they are few and need your help so that they can offer help to you rather then your enemies.'

'You are as close to an immortal being as there ever will be, Captain,' Maiek said. 'It is time you use your knowledge and temporal power to your advantage, Sir.'

It was the '_Sir' _said with Ifan/Ianto's accent and a touch of something alien that stirred Jack to dare…to _hope_.

'Can…can I?' He couldn't finish the sentence. He didn't dare…

'**YES**,' the three intoned. '**KEEP IT FOR US FOR WHEN WE WILL NEED IT. BUT YOU MAY USE IT…FOR **_**HIM**_.'

'But will it be him?' Jack asked. 'Or will he be like Ifan? Looks like him, sounds like him, but is someone completely different?'

'We do not know, Captain,' Kansho said regretfully. 'Only you can answer that.'

'Could I bring Steven back?' Jack asked, tears suddenly welling in his eyes.

'The body,' Sanshu answered. 'As to the soul, again, only you would know. The reason The Abomination failed so miserably was once they left their failing bodies to emerge in new ones, they could not find their way back. They were lost…to the Dark.'

Jack's eyes lit up at that. 'But _**I**_ could find them…find my missing people…and bring them back home.' He then looked to the three. 'What about Ifan and Meg?'

'Ifan wants to build the first functioning time traveling device created by humans. Meg wants to bear a child for him. We agreed to help…especially when we realized how important Ifan is to all of our futures,' Sanshu continued.

'And Ambrose?'

'He just wanted a little understanding between himself and his wife, and a better relationship with his children,' Kansho answered. 'We helped with that.'

The white room they found themselves in had three hibernation units bolted to the floor with humanoid figures within each. Ifan, Ambrose and Meg arranged themselves in front of the prospective unit and waited. At an unseen signal, the three extended their hands to the units and a glowing light leapt from them into the cylinders. The three humans collapsed slightly, then took hold of the units to steady themselves.

Ifan then started checking the readouts of each unit. 'Looks like transfer was successful,' he breathed out. 'They should wake up any minute.' Meg took hold of Ifan's hand. He smiled and squeezed her hand in his. They and Ambrose stepped back; Ambrose took hold of Jack and pulled him back from the units as well.

The lids to the three containers opened and they depressurized, hissing as the compressed air escaped them. Ifan, Ambrose and Meg began removing leads from the bodies within and lastly touched each alien in the center of their foreheads.

The three aliens took their first breaths of life – and Maiek and Kansho coughed a little. Ifan and Ambrose immediately pulled oxygen masks down from within the containers' lids and put them on their faces.

'Our atmosphere is a bit thin for them,' Meg said to Jack in explanation.

Jack, in turn, examined the bodies within the containers. They were trim, almost willowy in build, and very fit. The female had bright red hair and jade green eyes. The males' eyes were a deeper, almost emerald green and their hair was black. The three were at least a foot taller than the average human and their skin tone was a deep rosewood red. Meg helped the female – Sanshu – out of the capsule.

'Welcome to your ship,' Meg said softly.

'Thank you,' said the alien. Her voice was soft, deep and melodious, _almost like a quiet church bell_. Jack wondered at where he came up with that comparison.

Maiek was helped out by Ifan and Kansho by Ambrose and Jack. Kansho was the largest of the three, _Like Ambrose_, Jack thought.

Kansho smiled at that. Jack smirked. _Telepathic?_ He asked. The three nodded. Jack's smirk grew wider. 'Are you ready to take over your ship?' Jack asked aloud. The three nodded. 'And you are leaving the cloning units with me?' Again they nodded. Jack thought for a moment. 'Can they be transmatted into the Torchwood Hub?'

'Yes,' Kansho answered, smiling. 'Very good idea, Captain.'

'So those topside won't know about them,' Meg continued, cottoning on to Jack's plan. 'Can you trust your people not to say anything?'

At that, Jack nodded. 'When I explain how dangerous these things can be in the wrong hands, they'll be totally onboard with me in this.'

Maiek, Sanshu and Kansho then stood to their full heights, dressed in the same uniform of the dead man outside in the original dig. 'We are honored to make your acquaintance, Captain Jack Harkness, Director of Torchwood,' said Maiek, extending a red four fingered hand to Jack. Jack smiled, taking the hand in his.

'As am I,' he answered. 'How? How will I know how to use these?' he asked, pointing to the units. Maiek smiled again.

'There are instruction manuals,' he began, then outstretched his hand to the Captain.

'Or we can show you,' Sanshu said, finishing the sentence.

'Either way, you are quite capable of understanding,' Kansho concluded, joining with his crew mates.

Jack nodded, held his hand out to them, and then pulled it back. He turned to Ifan and Meg. 'You want in on this?' he asked. Meg turned to Ifan, he nodded, and taking Meg's hand put his other in the Captain's. Jack smiled, then turned to the Chameloid. 'We're ready now.'

~~TWTWTW~~

The comms suddenly screeched as Jack came online for everyone at the crevasse's edge. 'Hey Boys and Girls!' he yelled.

'Did ya miss me?' Gwen, Mickey, Martha and Devereaux called back.

'Grief,' said Jack somberly. 'I have become too predictable.'

'Gwen smiled to Martha as she opened her comm-link. 'Is it done? Is everything okay?' she asked.

'Better than,' Jack answered. Gwen could almost see Jack's grin in his words. 'Engines have completed cycling and auto repairs are almost complete. She'll be ready and able to fly once that's done. We're gonna be down here for a bit longer – but the Chameloid will be on their way within the hour.'

'They have co-ordinates?' Commander Courtney asked, slightly surprised.

'Yeah,' Jack returned. 'They were able to retrace the return signal we sent. They've tracked the enemy to a planet within the Cassiopeia Galaxy. Far away not to be seen, but close enough to get here and do a quick snatch-and-grab if the resources were acquired to do such a thing. They've sent word to their kind – but they've received no word. Their own kind may no longer exist.'

'Might explain why we've never seen or heard of them before,' Mickey said thoughtfully.

'We are hoping against hope,' said a strong male _alien_ voice. 'I am Maiek, Captain of _The War Bird_.'

'That's…the name of the ship,' Jack added hastily. 'We'll be up in a bit,' Jack added as he signed off. He then turned to the others. Ifan and Meg were pulling off bolts with tools fixed with noise dampeners, but bigger, noisier tools were required to remove the final bolts affixing the units to the plate decking of the ship.

'Couldn't we just transmat them as is?' Sanshu asked. Jack, Ifan and Kansho all shook their heads.

'You need the structural stability the plates give you,' Ifan answered. Maiek and Kansho nodded in agreement.

Sanshu nodded her head in understanding. 'Forgive me. My forte is navigation, not structural integrity.'

'Forgiven and forgotten, Sanshu,' Kansho said, extending a hand out to her. She took it without question and smiled.

Jack smiled as he pulled the final bolt holding sown the first unit. 'Maiek? Is yours a very tactile species?'

Maiek smiled. 'Yes,' he answered evenly. 'But Kansho and Sanshu have an excuse.'

Jack's eyebrows rose at this. 'Oh?' he breathed. 'Do tell.'

'They are a bonded pair.'

Jack laughed at that as Ifan, Meg and Ambrose joined in the mirth.

The final bolt came off the third unit and all present let out a cheer. 'Punch in those coordinates and let's get these bad boys where they belong,' Meg said.

The Chameloid nodded. 'Archive Room 4, Sub-Level 6,' Kansho said. 'Torchwood Cardiff Hub. Coordinates are locked in and TransMat is engaged.'

The three box like structures were bathed in a gold light, then winked away. Three stasis units were then wheeled in from a storage room and bolted into place.

After checking that the newly installed stasis units worked, Maiek gave Jack a thumbs-up sign.

'How do you know what that means?' Jack asked. Ifan smiled.

'When they were in our minds,' he answered. 'They learned a lot about us.' He then looked to his brother and Meg. 'Time we were going,' he said regrettably.

Maiek put his read hand on Ifan's shoulder. 'Your dreams for the human race are powerful, large and daring. But they are not impossible. You may not see them completed – but your children most certainly will.'

Ifan looked to Meg at that and smiled. 'Thank you, Maiek of the Chameloid,' he whispered, gripping the hand on his shoulder.

'You are welcome, Ifan Daffyd Jeffries,' Maiek answered. He then turned to Jack. 'I leave this also with you,' he said, handing Jack two information cylinders. 'Information on our kind,' he continued, answering Jack's questioning gaze. 'It will be a long time until we meet again, if ever, Captain Jack Harkness. Know that The Abomination will never return to this planet, this we swear. May the stars light your way, even in the darkest of nights.'

'And may they do the same for you,' Jack said, clutching the cylinders tighter to his chest. 'That saying…it was an old one among my people,' he said softly.

'As it is amongst mine,' Maiek answered.

'Your people are still out there, Maiek,' Jack said smiling, even as a green light on the room's wall console lit up and an tattoo sounded. Kansho practically flew to the console to find the cause.

'There is an answer, Maiek!' he practically screeched, turning to his commander.

'Sanshu,' Maiek said evenly. 'Please relay our situation to the homeworld and ask them for new orders, if there are any.' Sanshu nodded, then hugged each of the humans and took her leave. With a nod to everyone, Kansho followed her out. Maiek then turned to the humans again.

'So, Captain Harkness,' he said slowly, the word _Harkness_ rolling off of his tongue. 'Time you were returned to your people.' He then paused. 'A few decades, at least,' he finished cryptically.

Jack smiled, nodding. 'Thank you,' he said again as Ifan, Meg and Ambrose moved closer to Jack.

'Thank you,' Meg and Ambrose said together, then laughed. 'Good Journey,' Ambrose said softly.

'Not good-bye,' said Meg. 'But Good Luck until we meet again.'

Maiek smiled at that as he walked over to the wall console and pressed a button. Through a haze of yellow light, Meg heard and felt Maiek's answer.

'Until we meet again.'

~~TWTWTW~~

The four materialized at the mouth of the crevasse in a flash of yellow light. Mickey, Devereaux, Gwen and Martha smiled at seeing their Captain safe. Commander Courtney saluted ass soon as the yellow light disappeared. Meg, Ifan and Ambrose smiled at the others broadly, their eyes wide with wonder.

'Wow,' said Ifan, giggling slightly. 'So that was a transmat. Awesome!'

A beam of light then shot up from the crevasse and coalesced into the images of Maiek, Sanshu and Kansho seated at their perspective stations on the ship's bridge.

'It was them, Captain,' Maiek said with a smile on his face. The four let out a collective sigh of relief. Jack turned and realized they thought the same as he: that the message the travelers received was automated.

'I am glad,' Jack answered. 'Good luck.'

Maiek nodded in understanding. 'As the priests of my world say, Captain: _May the Mother of All protect us with her right hand_-.'

'_And with her left, may she destroy all of our enemies_,' Sanshu and Kansho said along with Maiek. The 3D image then winked out as the engines of the ship below opened to full throttle – and then the ship winked out of the crevasse.

Everyone gathered then looked up to a bright streak across the blue sky as the ship's molecules flashed through the atmosphere to materialize in space 100,000 miles above Earth. Its engines then glowed again as the temporal/spacial drive was engaged – and _The War Bird_ winked out of time and space.

~~TWTWTW~~

Ifan and Meg stood looking up into the blue sky, holding hands. The day was cool, but the wind wasn't biting and the sun was out. It was a beautiful day in the Beacons for a change. Ambrose had made sandwiches the night before and Meg had filled a few thermoses with her coffee so the entire Torchwood staff had a rollicking lunch on the Range Rover bus while UNIT packed up the tents and heavy equipment and prepared to move out.

When Commander Courtney reported to the bus to take her leave of the Director, she was treated to a ham and cheese sandwich with honey-dijon mustard on homemade wheat bread with a cup of Meg's brew. After taking a tentative sip, her face relaxed into the first real smile on it all day. Jack saluted her after she had finished and then turned to the others. Meg and Ifan nodded in return. Ambrose had taken an earlier transport back to start tea up back at the Inn.

Gwen saved the day by raising her cup of coffee up to all present on the bus. 'To Coffee Makers, Past and Present, and their ability to save those that save the universe with a single good cup.'

Meg and Ifan drew a little closer to Jack as they all raised their cups. He held his hand out to them – and both Ifan and Meg grabbed it without question.

A/N: _Now I know a few may be a bit miffed here at how I left the battle between the Chameloid and the 456 out, but I felt that would just be unnecessary. I think I've got all my ducks in a row…so an epilogue chapter – and this one is another wrap. No worries, kiddies…more stories on the horizon. And once again, thank you all you fanfiction fans from all over the world for reading my stuff and enjoying it. I get a total kick out of it! D._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Well, Guys and Dolls, this is a wrap! I hope you guys enjoyed this one – it was a bit of a trial to write, especially since it was started before I went to the UK – and I'm still grappling with it. This one should have been bagged and tagged right around Christmas. I really wanted to get this out before school got into full swing, because this class I'm taking is an absolute bear! Thank you, once again, my faithful subscribers and friends – you really make a girl feel all warm and fuzzy. So…here we go…_

**Torchwood: Doppelgangers**

**Chapter Six: Epilogue – Through the Looking Glass**

Ten months after the events at The Beacons saw Ifan holding Meg's hand as she was under a local anesthetic. Their family was being delivered by C-Section; it was quadruplets. Two boys, two girls…and more than enough for the Jeffries Clan to handle. Meg's mother had flown in from Tampa, Florida complaining of the cold, Wales and the bleak countryside. She was also upset about the inconvenience of not being told of Meg and Ifan's relationship, let alone her pregnancy. She was about to say something else as she walked into Meg's room and froze: four perfect little faces wrapped in baby blankets stole her power of speech…for which both Meg and Ifan were beyond grateful.

Family, friends and a Captain from Torchwood helped them with the children as they grew.

Gwen and Rhys showed up from time to time for holidays with their own growing family. Edward Ianto, and later his sister Emily Toshiko, expressed an interest in Maths that Ifan was more than willing to help expand, even as his own brood expanded with their own studies and hobbies. Meg and Ambrose would comment from time to time that they felt they were trapped at a science/maths camp on the edge of Brecon Beacons. Ifan would tell them to roundly get stuffed, usually to the laughter of children and parents alike.

Jackson Devereaux and Commander Elspeth Courtney began dating shortly after the 'Incident'. He proposed to her while on holiday at the Inn. A near death experience helped to bring Lois Habiba and Mickey Smith together – they chose the Inn as the venue for the wedding and reception.

Kelly began staying at the Inn with Ambrose and bringing their children for weekends. Three more children were added to their own brood in the intervening years. They also decided to have their tenth and twentieth wedding anniversaries at the Inn.

Ifan continued working on his theories – and reverse engineering Jack's Vortex Manipulator. By the Quad's 4th birthday, he repaired the Vortex Manipulator. By their 12th, he had his first correctly operating temporal drive. By their 16th, all four had their bachelor's degrees and were working on their doctorates in Maths, Sciences and History. And one was working closely with Uncle Mickey on improving the computer mainframes to Torchwood and UNIT.

Meg and Jack had a LONG discussion concerning that…and finally Ifan was allowed to visit the Hub…officially. Within a year the Rift Manipulator was repaired and working better than before. Gwen had commented that Ianto and Toshiko would have been proud. Ifan simply blushed a bright red…and Jack smiled, thinking fondly of Ianto.

They heard from the crew of _The War Bird_ as least once every year for decades…until one year they said the quest was complete – and the machines were no longer needed. Jack thanked them for that.

And in an unused storage room on Sub-Level Six that once housed a partially converted Cyberwoman, three fully functioning cloning units sat dormant…waiting…

Jack would go to the morgue in the bowels of Torchwood Cardiff from time to time…simply to check. Ianto's body sat perfectly preserved in a refrigeration unit – and two drawers down and one row to the right sat Steven's. How the hell Gwen managed to make this little miracle happen, he'd never know. But thanks to her…he would be eternally grateful. Jack allowed himself to slide down to the floor, putting one hand on Ianto's drawer door, the other on Steven's.

'Not yet,' he whispered softly as he patted them both.

~~TWTWTW~~

On the 30th anniversary of the 456 Incident Meg and Ifan were at the Inn, enjoying a quiet high summer day in the Great Room, watching the proceedings on the plasma screen TV sitting above the dark fireplace.

With Ifan's help, a perception filter had been fitted into Jack's Vortex Manipulator to make him look older so that he could take part in the memorial service for the dead. One of their children, Daniel, was with Jack at the proceedings. None of the cameras missed on opportunity to scan him; he was the spitting image of Ifan – and Ianto Jones – except his hair was lighter and his eyes were hazel.

Meg looked to her husband. For their children's 10th birthday, they exchanged rings in front of friends, family and a reverend. They both felt a church just would have been overkill.

'So,' she said softly, snuggling into Ifan's shoulder. 'Is Jack going to be a future son-in-law?'

Ifan chuckled, the sound vibrating through him. 'No. Daniel cares for him – but not in that way. He…he knows…well. We all know Jack will always be left behind…and besides, Daniel would only be a replacement. Besides…he is quite taken with Tom and Martha's Annalisa. Get ready for wedding bells and a gown fitting for you, old girl.' He yelped when Meg pinched him.

'If I have to wear a gown…doesn't that mean you have to wear a tuxedo?' she asked a few minutes later.

'Yes,' he said, sighing. He could where her mind was going. 'And no, that does not mean you get to have your wicked way with me in it afterwards. It's going to be let, after all.'

Meg pouted. 'Well, you're no fun,' she groused. 'I could buy you one.'

'We have four mouths to feed beside our own, my dear,' Ifan continued, a smile threatening to take over his face.

She sat silent for a moment, then looked at her husband again. 'Has Daniel bought her a ring?'

Ifan sighed again. His wife was most certainly a woman swift on the up-take. 'Yes,' he conceded. 'BUT,' he added swiftly stilling Meg's sudden Happy Shuffle on the settee. 'He's popping the question tonight. SO – NOTHING TO MARTHA UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING. Your son's orders.'

Meg mock pouted as she cuddled into Ifan's shoulder once again and was taken in by the continuing memorial coverage.

'Do you think he will use the machines one day?' Ifan asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Now it was Meg's turn to sigh. 'He was going to try it today. Ianto first…Steven second. Out of respect for us, he'll wait 100 years after the last of our children pass,' Meg answered, remembering her conversation with Jack when Alain started helping with the mainframes. 'But yes, one day will see newer versions of us walking around again. And…as much as I hate Torchwood, I think in the end the Captain needs us. All of us…for as long as he can have us.'

'Did Gwen and Rhys agree?' Ifan asked.

'Yep. As did Mickey, Lois, Devereaux, Elspeth, Tom and Martha. Yeah…I think we'll be around for a while yet,' Meg said, sighing softly.

'Hey…what was that for?' Ifan asked, kissing Meg on her temple as he held her close.

'Oh…just thinking about Everest,' she answered, smiling slightly. 'I may be able to beat that bastard yet.'

_One joy scatters one hundred griefs. – Chinese Proverb_

FINIS

_A/N: Thought this was the best place to end this – only because I wasn't looking to make this a CoE Fix-It. But…(gasp!)they MAY – big MAY be one in the works…not sure yet. Anywho – thanks for sticking it out with this one – and in the end, may we ALL beat our own bastards yet! D._


End file.
